The organizing committee for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has apologized for operational shortcomings related to a bus no-show incident experienced by the South Korean men's basketball team prior to the final match.
According to Japanese media outlet Nikkan Sports, the committee issued an apology on September 23 regarding the incident that occurred on September 20, the day of the final between South Korea and Japan.
Facing a scheduling issue, the South Korean team waited for 20 minutes outside their hotel for a bus to take them to a morning training session, ultimately deciding to forgo the practice. However, the players enjoyed a walk instead and went on to defeat Japan 67-57 in the final, securing the gold medal.
Given that Japan was the host nation, some committee members speculated whether the delay was intentional. In response, the Korean Sports Council mentioned plans for an official meeting with senior officials from the organizing committee.
Concerns over operational mismanagement were not limited to basketball. During the modern pentathlon awards ceremony on September 20, South Korea was mistakenly introduced as the 'Republic of China' before the error was corrected. Additionally, a significant mistake occurred during the men's hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh on September 18, when the North Korean national anthem was played incorrectly, prompting a formal apology from the organizing committee.
As the controversy grew, Takaki Omi, deputy secretary of the organizing committee, expressed regret at a press conference, stating, "We apologize for the human errors." He added, however, that the incidents did not affect the competitions and that daily improvements are being implemented, attributing issues like bus scheduling and accommodation delays to late emergency requests and incomplete paperwork from participating teams.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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