Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organizers apologize for wrong anthem, transport issues

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee issued an apology on September 22 for a variety of issues that plagued the sporting event. These problems included playing the wrong national anthem during a men's hockey match before the opening ceremony, a failure to play anthems before a handball match, and problems with transportation for athletes.

Organizers emphasized that these mistakes had not impacted the competition and that preventive measures were being taken. The error in the hockey match was attributed to the wrong national anthems being stored on broadcasting equipment, a serious mistake according to Takaaki Omi, deputy secretary-general of the committee.

Regarding the handball match, organizers canceled the anthems due to time constraints. During the men's basketball final, a transport vehicle arranged by the organizers did not arrive, causing South Korea's national team to cancel their practice. Omi acknowledged at least two or three such incidents daily, with vehicles either not arriving at all or arriving late to competition venues.

Since an athlete's village was not built for the Games, athletes are accommodated at various locations, including a large cruise ship, with some complaining about lengthy accommodation procedures.

Omi explained that the increase in the number of athletes is the primary reason for these issues. He stated that the organizing committee is providing meals appropriate for an international competition, despite criticism on social media about food and drinks given to some athletes. The athletes are responsible for securing accommodation for the additional 2,000 participants announced by the Olympic Council of Asia, as the committee had indicated that this responsibility would fall on the sports organizations and athletes themselves.

Omi admitted that dealing with requests reflecting the actual conditions took time, leading to ongoing mistakes. He expressed a desire to create countermeasures tailored to each cause and implement them thoroughly. The absence of major domestic advertising agencies due to corruption cases surrounding the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics may also contribute to the errors, according to Omi.

He acknowledged that with many inexperienced individuals involved, human errors may occur, but the Games have managed to proceed without significant issues affecting the competition.