{
  "id": 11846768,
  "title": "‘Chaotic’ Asian Games threaten Japan’s hopes of hosting Olympics again",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/chaotic-asian-games-threaten-japans-hopes-of-hosting-olympics-again-11846768",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-04T03:50:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/04/chaotic-asian-games-threaten-japan-s-hopes-of-hosting-olympics-again"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nagoya, Japan hosted the Asian Games in 2023, an event marred by significant organizational issues that have raised doubts about Japan's ability to host future international sporting events, including the Olympics. The Games saw sparse attendance, with thousands of empty seats at the opening ceremony, and multiple mishaps, such as athletes being transported to the wrong venues and the North Korean national anthem being played for the South Korean hockey team. Accommodation and transportation problems arose due to a later-than-expected increase in the number of athletes and officials, surpassing the usual Olympic numbers. Criticism from participating countries was harsh, with the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee president likening the event to \"musical chairs.\" The Japanese Olympic Committee president acknowledged the numerous problems but expressed a desire to host more international events. Experts suggest that the damaged reputation resulting from these issues could hinder Japan's chances of winning an Olympic bid in the future.",
  "summary": "The Games in Aichi-Nagoya saw a catalogue of mishaps, from athletes bussed to the wrong venues to mix-ups with anthems and flags.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Serena Williams’ former coach says one area of Alex Eala’s game is ‘average’ as she fails to win Asian Games gold",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/serena-williams-former-coach-says-one-area-of-alex-ealas-game-is",
        "published": "2026-10-04T01:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "Japan sets record with 83 gold medals at Asian Games",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/japan-sets-record-with-83-gold-medals-at-asian-games",
        "published": "2026-10-04T01:42:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "‘Chaotic’ Asian Games threaten Japan’s hopes of hosting Olympics again",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/chaotic-asian-games-threaten-japans-hopes-of-hosting-olympics-again",
        "published": "2026-10-04T03:50:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "From historic golf gold to tennis medal miss: India’s biggest hits & flops at Asian Games",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/from-historic-golf-gold-to-tennis-medal-miss-indias-biggest-hits",
        "published": "2026-10-04T04:05:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}