{
  "id": 11651984,
  "title": "Japan Olympics chief says Asian Games organisers must reflect after operational problems",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/japan-olympics-chief-says-asian-games-organisers-must-reflect-after",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T09:15:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/others/2026/10/1546859/japan-olympics-chief-says-asian-games-organisers-must-reflect-after"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Seiko Hashimoto, the President of the Japanese Olympic Committee, has urged Asian Games organizers to reflect on their preparation for the recent multi-sport event. The organizers had budgeted for 15,000 athletes and officials, but the actual number of participants rose to around 17,000, causing significant operational challenges. Hashimoto told a press conference in Nagoya that dealing with the additional athletes had been extremely difficult, resulting in inconvenience for the competitors.\n\nThe athletes were housed in a variety of accommodations, including hotels, temporary wooden containers, and a cruise ship to save costs. This spread-out setup created transportation difficulties, with several national team delegations reporting double-booked rooms and incorrect assignments, as well as transport issues that hampered athletes' preparation for competitions. Asian Games Organising Committee Secretary General Satoshi Murate had previously apologized for the accommodation and transport mishaps, attributing them to a late influx of athletes and officials.\n\nHashimoto emphasized that even when faced with uncontrollable circumstances, anticipating potential issues and preparing for them beforehand is crucial for the successful operation of the Games. She noted that addressing these challenges will be one of the primary tasks for the organization moving forward.",
  "summary": "NAGOYA: Asian Games organisers need to reflect on whether they could have been better prepared for challenges brought by the number of athletes at the multi-sport event, Japanese Olympic Committee President Seiko Hashimoto said on Saturday.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Gold medal! India beat Pakistan by 19 runs, defend Asian Games crown in men's cricket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/gold-medal-india-beat-pakistan-by-19-runs-defend-asian-games-crown-in",
        "published": "2026-10-03T08:06:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "(URGENT) S. Korea's Song Da-bin wins gold in women's taekwondo at Asian Games",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/urgent-s-koreas-song-da-bin-wins-gold-in-womens-taekwondo-at-asian",
        "published": "2026-10-03T08:27:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Pakistan Navy’s Mustafa Bashir wins bronze at Asian Games",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/pakistan-navys-mustafa-bashir-wins-bronze-at-asian-games",
        "published": "2026-10-03T08:33:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "India beat arch-rivals Pakistan to win Asian Games cricket gold",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/india-beat-arch-rivals-pakistan-to-win-asian-games-cricket-gold",
        "published": "2026-10-03T09:13:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Aman Sehrawat wins men’s freestyle 57kg gold at Asian Games 2026",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/aman-sehrawat-wins-mens-freestyle-57kg-gold-at-asian-games-2026",
        "published": "2026-10-03T09:42:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "RTHK English",
        "title": "SAR wins gold and silver in rugby sevens at Games",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/sar-wins-gold-and-silver-in-rugby-sevens-at-games",
        "published": "2026-10-03T11:32:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}