No food for hours: System failure strands Asian Games athletes

NAGOYA, Japan — Many athletes and officials at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games found themselves stranded for hours on Wednesday due to a major transport issue at a crucial reception venue. The problem arose at Aichi Sky Expo near Chubu Centrair International Airport when an on-site system failed to process credentials for numerous arriving delegations. Consequently, they were unable to board their scheduled shuttle buses.

The Chinese delegation, comprising several national teams, arrived at 12:15pm (local time), but their arrival was thwarted by the malfunctioning system, which lacked their records. An Indian rowing coach reported that his team had arrived at 10am and endured over four hours of waiting for transport. This delay extended to other teams as well, with only two members of China's gymnastics team found in the system, leaving the entire squad stranded.

Athletes, exhausted and anxious, waited inside the venue, with some Chinese athletes even laying out yoga mats to stay warm and continue their training. The disruption affected the entire workflow, as many parts of the system were not connected. Teams were advised to arrange private transport if they wished, but they would have to bear the costs themselves. However, some teams, like China's badminton team, struggled to secure tickets for public airport buses.

China's table tennis, wushu, and rowing teams boarded official buses around 5pm, while the gymnastics team departed six hours later, at 6pm. For some delegations, the ordeal lasted much longer. By 7pm, a Sri Lankan official reported that their total travel and waiting time had reached 24 hours. No food was provided at the venue, leaving athletes with only drinking water. The situation was described by one athlete as harder to endure than the competitions themselves.

The breakdown has raised concerns about the host country's preparedness ahead of the regional multi-sport event.