{
  "id": 8611211,
  "title": "Typhoon put people off Asian Games opening ceremony, says official",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/typhoon-put-people-off-asian-games-opening-ceremony-says-official",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T04:35:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/20/typhoon-put-people-off-asian-games-opening-ceremony-says-official"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, faced empty seats due to a looming typhoon, according to official sources. The 30,000-capacity Paloma Mizuho Stadium, with a seating capacity of 30,000, saw parts filled but also notable empty sections during the event. Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al-Musallam explained the situation, stating that a portion of the arena remained empty due to the Games flame and the possibility of the typhoon's impact. While over 70% of tickets were sold, this discrepancy raised questions about the effect of the typhoon warning on attendance. The typhoon, initially anticipated to pose a threat to Nagoya, shifted at the last minute, impacting the Tokyo region instead. Despite the announcement of a sold-out ceremony, the actual attendance was significantly lower, with no rainfall during the event. However, heavy rain was forecasted for Tokyo, affecting some swimming events.",
  "summary": "There was no rain during the ceremony and the storm, having days earlier shaped as a potential threat, made a greater impact in the Tokyo region.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "China's 13-year-old Yu cruises as Asian Games swimming begins",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/chinas-13-year-old-yu-cruises-as-asian-games-swimming-begins",
        "published": "2026-09-20T03:29:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "China’s 13-year-old Yu cruises as Asian Games swimming begins",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/chinas-13-year-old-yu-cruises-as-asian-games-swimming-begins-8604692",
        "published": "2026-09-20T03:29:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "China's 13-year-old Yu cruises as Asian Games swimming begins",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/chinas-13-year-old-yu-cruises-as-asian-games-swimming-begins-8603827",
        "published": "2026-09-20T03:36:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Asian Games: India win first medal, clinch women’s 10m air rifle team silver",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/asian-games-india-win-first-medal-clinch-womens-10m-air-rifle-team",
        "published": "2026-09-20T04:04:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "India open Asian Games shooting campaign with silver in women's 10m air rifle",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/india-open-asian-games-shooting-campaign-with-silver-in-womens-10m",
        "published": "2026-09-20T04:32:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}