(LEAD) (Asiad) Men's basketball team misses shootaround before final due to shuttle no-show

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's men's basketball squad was denied its shootaround session prior to the Asian Games final on Sunday due to a non-appearance of its designated shuttle bus. The team, aiming to secure its first men's basketball gold since 2014, was scheduled to face host nation Japan in the gold medal match at Aichi International Arena, Nagoya, at 7:40 p.m. on Sunday.

However, the bus assigned to transport the team for a 10 a.m. shootaround failed to arrive at their hotel, leaving no explanation. The Korean athletes are determined to remain focused as they prepare for the crucial game. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) has vowed to file formal complaints against the event's organizers and the Olympic Council of Asia, the governing body for the Asian Games, over the incident.

They also intend to seek a meeting with senior officials of the organizing committee. The Asian Games commence with medal events on Sunday, following the opening ceremony. The first basketball action began on September 10. The organizers faced criticism for logistical blunders in the days leading up to the opening ceremony. The South Korean men's football team experienced multiple transportation problems, and the committee apologized for playing the North Korean national anthem before a South Korean field hockey match last week.

On Saturday, no anthem was played before a women's handball match between South Korea and Hong Kong. South Korea had previously lodged a formal complaint to the organizers for showcasing Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a 16th-century Japanese warlord responsible for Japan's invasion of Korea (1592-1598), during a welcome ceremony for a cruise ship housing athletes.