World records prove Asian Games were a hit, says top official
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Japan’s Shin Ohashi, who smashed the men’s 200m breaststroke world record on Sept 24, with his medals after the Asian Games swimming events on Sept 25.
PHOTO: AFP
- More than 50 world records were broken at the Asian Games in Japan, proving the event's success despite numerous organisational issues.
- The Games faced problems like wrong transportation, anthem errors, insufficient beds, and long airport waits for over 17,000 athletes and officials.
- The Olympic Council of Asia defended the Games, praising the accommodation model as sustainable and cost-effective, with no financial burden on the organisers.
AI generated
NAGOYA – An Asian Olympic chief said on Oct 4 that more than 50 world records broken at the Games in Japan proved the event was a success, despite numerous complaints from disgruntled teams.
The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya saw a catalogue of mishaps, from athletes bussed to the wrong venues to the North Korean national anthem played for the South Korean hockey team.
There were also not enough beds for the over 17,000 athletes and officials, a bigger number than the Olympics.
Countries also complained of being stranded for up to six hours at the airport on arrival.
The Games produced some elite performances, although sometimes in front of rows of empty seats.
World records were broken in sports including swimming, shooting and weightlifting.
Olympic Council of Asia director-general Husain Al-Musallam said “numbers are facts” as he launched an impassioned defence of the Games ahead of the closing ceremony.
“This achievement does not come without the best environment that the organising committee created for the athletes,” he said.
“The athletes cannot perform if they don’t sleep good, the athletes cannot perform if they don’t have good transportation.
“We are here to present to you the evidence,” he added.
To save money, there was no athletes’ village at the Games, with organisers instead putting competitors in hotels, temporary wooden huts and on a cruise ship.
Some teams complained about the quality of the accommodation, including that the beds were too short in the huts.
Al-Musallam said the accommodation was “very well received by the athletes” and provided a sustainable model for future Games.
“We are happy to see that there is no financial burden for the organising committee and there is no white elephant staying in Nagoya,” he said.
On the same day, Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organising committee president Hideaki Omura apologised for the glitches.
Omura, the governor of host Aichi Prefecture since 2011 and serving his fourth term, had refrained from publicly addressing the issues despite mounting criticism of the management of the Games.
At a news conference, Omura said organisers had faced “unforeseen challenges” and responded to them on a day-to-day basis.
He said organisers “immediately responded” to complaints from taller athletes by providing bed extenders, and acknowledged they were unable to deal smoothly with participants who had not registered in advance.
“We sincerely accept such feedback and apologise for the inconvenience caused to athletes,” he said.
The gaffes had continued in the victory ceremony for the men’s football final on Oct 3, when Eom Ji-sung’s second-half winner helped South Korea beat Japan 1-0 for their fourth consecutive Asiad football gold.
Officials struggled to raise the South Korean flag on the flagpole, sparking boos from the country’s fans. AFP, KYODO NEWS