To display this YouTube content, you must allow advertising and audience measurement cookies.

An extension on your browser appears to be blocking the video player from loading. In order to view this content, you must disable it on this site.

First modification: 02/10/2026 - 14:58

The 2026 Asian Games, which are being held in the Japanese prefecture of Aichi, with Nagoya as the host city, have received criticism from participants for various logistical problems. Complaints include difficulties with accommodation and transportation, as well as protocol errors, such as the wrong placement of some hymns. The authorities and the organizing committee have apologized and are trying to correct the errors in the final stretch of the competition. What problems have marked the organization of these continental fairs?

An idea of ​​innovation and austerity became a phenomenon that is affecting years of work and Japan's reputation when it comes to organizing sporting events. The organizing committee of the 20th edition of the Asian Games has faced criticism for various key logistical aspects for the care of participants.

One of the complaints has been the lack of bed places in the competing cities. According to various reports, the initial idea of ​​using a part of the existing infrastructure, mostly inherited from the 2020 Olympic Games, and combining it with the installation of a cruise ship, temporary housing modules and the network of local hotels did not work as expected.

Given the importance of the Asian Games, since they grant direct places to the Olympic Games, the number of participants among athletes and officials of the delegations was close to 17,000 people, leaving the city in a deficit of places to host them and exceeding the number of athletes and officials who attended the Olympics. OO. From Paris in the year 2024 that was at least 15,000 people.

According to a report by the Reuters agency, published on September 26, the head of the organizing committee pointed out that one of the failures was that two thousand more people attended than the initial estimate of 15,000 visitors from the participating delegations.

On the other hand, the Japanese media 'City Nagoya' reported in a report that the main problem for the non-construction of the Olympic village was that the project was abandoned in 2024, after it underwent a series of modifications.

Beds and transportation, another problem

Although the cruise ship anchored in the city's port, and with capacity for about 4,600 people, has the necessary services for athletes such as: dining room, gym and places to sleep, the place has not received the support of the participants. The main complaint, the size of the beds.

"The most common concern was the size of the beds, which was particularly true for some athletes, such as basketball players. With multiple beds installed in each unit and multiple occupants in the rooms, some athletes felt the rooms were too small," said Yuta Matsuo, a member of the organizing committee.

Transportation has been another focus of negative attention during the development of the fairs. Many athletes have complained about mobility, alleging that buses sometimes send them to other competition sites, a situation that has forced the delay in the day of some disciplines.

Although neither the city authorities nor the representatives of the games have offered a clear reason for the problems in the movement of the athletes, some specialists have determined that not having a village for the athletes has altered the scheduling of the buses.

Tension in a field hockey game

On September 18, one day before the formal start of the jousts, a delicate event occurred and spread around the world. In the run-up to the match between South Korea and Bangladesh, those responsible for playing the anthem of the South Korean nation got confused and played the anthem of North Korea, a situation that generated discomfort among those present.

"The playing of a national anthem is a very important moment in a team event. It can have an effect on the players' performance, as it allows them to come together, reaffirm their determination and mentally prepare for the match. But that moment was interrupted and I think it had a negative impact on our players," said Lee Sang-Hyun, South Korea's chef de mission.

With Reuters and Japanese media

Related keywords

The content you requested does not exist or is no longer available.