Asian Games in Japan plagued by troubles

Asian Games in Japan plagued by troubles

The organizers of the 2026 Asian Games currently underway in Japan have unveiled container houses for athletes, amid calls from some overseas participants for improvements to those facilities.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee unveiled the residences on Sunday.

Some athletes from abroad urged improvements to the houses, which accommodate around 2,000 people, with some saying that the rooms were too cramped and the beds were too short.

The committee said it will continue making improvements and provide a better environment for athletes.

A series of errors and troubles over the operation of the Games plagued the event even before its official opening, drawing criticism from overseas media over the committee's handling of the event.

On September 18, North Korea's national anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea's before a men's hockey match. The committee apologized for what it called "human error." Officials in charge apologized to the South Korean team and the committee formally apologized in writing.

Athletic teams also cited delays and errors in scheduling buses used to transport athletes.

On September 20, before the men's basketball final, the South Korean team had requested a bus to take them to their practice venue. But the vehicle failed to arrive due to a scheduling error, leaving the team unable to practice.

In other reported cases, buses were not dispatched or were delayed due to a lack of communication, including the failure to properly communicate the rule that teams needed to request buses by 3 p.m. on the previous day.

There were also complaints that athletes were made to wait for a long time before entering accommodation facilities, as well as opinions that food provided by sports organizations separate from the committee was insufficient.