Accommodation chaos, anthem blunder and diplomatic row cloud Asian Games 2026

The 20th Asian Games will officially open on Saturday, September 19, at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, with the Games scheduled to run until October 4.However, several sports, including hockey, cricket and teqball, began earlier due to scheduling requirements.The build-up has been dominated , transport, registration and food, while separate incidents involving South Korea have created diplomatic friction.South Korea anthem blunderThe latest controversy came on Friday before the men's hockey Group A match between South Korea and Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.After the announcer introduced the national anthem of the Republic of Korea, North Korea's anthem was played instead.South Korean players, who had lined up with their hands over their hearts, appeared confused. Officials later apologised over the public-address system, saying the wrong anthem had been played.Bangladesh's anthem was then played, followed 's anthem. The correction came after the teams had already begun their pre-match proceedings and delayed the start of the match.South Korea eventually won 5-0. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said it would file a formal protest. North Korea's anthem is banned in South Korea.Hideyoshi appearance sparks Korean protestSouth Korea had already complained about a welcome ceremony for the cruise ship Costa Serena on September 15.The ceremony featured performers dressed as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the three historical figures traditionally associated with the unification of Japan.The appearance of Hideyoshi drew particular criticism in South Korea. He led Japan's invasions of Korea between 1592 and 1598.KSOC president Ryu Seung-min sent letters to the Aichi-Nagoya orgsing committee and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), expressing regret and calling for measures to prevent a similar incident.Orgsers said the performance was intended to represent local history and culture and was not meant to endorse any historical figure or convey a political message.No traditional Athletes' VillageAichi-Nagoya orgsers opted against constructing a conventional Athletes' Village, partly to control costs following the expenditure overruns associated with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.Instead, more than 17,000 athletes and officials are being accommodated across hotels, temporary wooden container-style housing and the Costa Serena, which is docked at Nagoya Port and can house roughly 4,000 people.The model has come under scrutiny after several teams reported problems.South Korean basketball officials criticised the temporary accommodation, with complaints including short beds for players over two metres tall. Some athletes also posted videos showing maintenance problems.Reports also emerged of rooms on the cruise ship being assigned to three people despite being designed for two. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 鳳凰資訊 PhoenixTVNews（凤凰资讯） (@phoenixtv_news) Thai teams hit 's sepak takraw team was among those affected .The team arrived on September 16 expecting cabins aboard the Costa Serena, but officials could not find their names in the accommodation system. The athletes waited with their luggage in the ship's lobby for hours, with photographs showing some sleeping on the floor.Thai officials blamed a documentation failure involving a contractor working for the orgsers. The issue was resolved the following day.Thailand's teqball team also raised concerns about food. Head coach Rewat Phabchomphu, known as Coach Oat, posted a video showing a meal consisting of portions of noodles, rice, chicken, soup and vegetables.He questioned the quantity of food and complained that athletes could choose only one vegetable. The team later arranged additional food outside the venue. Airport delays affect several delegationsRegistration and transport glitches at Chubu Centrair International Airport on September 16 affected several delegations.Chinese gymnast Zhang Boheng said his team waited around six hours after landing and later struggled to reach its accommodation because of heavy rain. He said he went roughly 12 hours without a proper meal before finding food.Chinese badminton, table tennis, wushu and rowing teams also reportedly faced lengthy waits, with the Chinese consulate helping some athletes arrange private transport.Indian athletes have faced similar logistical issues. Reports said around 30-35 members of India's contingent initially did not have allocated rooms, promng officials to book additional hotel accommodation.There have also been reports of long waits for buses and other transport problems affecting Indian athletes.Other delegations have faced mix-ups too. South Korea's men's football team was reportedly taken to a baseball stadium instead of its football venue, while Vietnam's women's volleyball team arrived at the wrong hotel.Flag-hoisting ceremony disruptedIndia was also among the contingents affected -hoisting ceremony on Friday.The ceremony at Garden Pier, involving India, Yemen, North Korea, Palestine, Chinese Taipei and Timor-Leste, was initially delayed before being halted altogether.Orgsers first cited "trouble with a team" before later attributing the disruon to "miscommunication" between the OCA and the Aichi-Nagoya orgsing committee.The ceremony eventually went ahead after a delay of more than an hour, with Indian officials including chef de mission Sahdev Yadav and IOA president P.T. Usha in attendance.Orgsers defend arrangementsAichi-Nagoya orgsers and the OCA have defended the accommodation model, describing it as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to constructing a permanent Games village."There are certain things which we can see in different media and different feedbacks ... we strongly condemn this ... any attempt to politicise our sporting event which is for athletes. That is something we would like to prevent," Ikram said."... people are trying to come up with concerns in everything, but which Games don't have challenges? The important thing is what kind of response is there. Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Orgsing Committee response has been extraordinary, but OCA and ANAGOC will not allow (anyone) to politicise the Games," he insisted."I don't want to mention the names, but there are certain concerns which are being exploited on social media. We continue to be positive," added the veteran official, who is also the president of the International Hockey Federation.With the opening ceremony now less than a day away, orgsers face the task of resolving the logistical issues while ensuring that the focus shifts back to the sporting competition at the 20th Asian Games.(With inputs from )