Politicians need to stay out of sport at Asiad: Asian Olympic boss
Taiwan sport minister Lee Yang, a former Olympic badminton champion, was initially blocked from attending a flag-raising ceremony at the Games on Friday, triggering a standoff as the Taiwan delegation refused to participate in protest.
Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), has stated that politicians should not be involved in sports during the Asian Games. This comes following an incident involving Taiwan's sport minister, Lee Yang, who was initially barred from attending a flag-raising ceremony at the Games in Nagoya, Japan.
Lee Yang, a former Olympic badminton champion, was not allowed to take part in the ceremony but was eventually permitted entry later. The Taiwan delegation refused to participate in protest, leading to a standoff. Taiwan's cabinet later complained that Lee had faced "unreasonable obstruction" in obtaining access credentials. OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam emphasized that the flag-raising ceremony was intended for the athletes, not the government or delegation representatives.
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