Anthems, transport, housing: What’s gone wrong at the Asian Games in Japan?

A glitzy opening ceremony offered some respite and a more cheerful welcome for athletes and officials attending the Asian Games in Japan after a string of mishaps had dominated the build-up to the continental sporting event.

Five years after the Tokyo Olympics were held at empty venues due to COVID-19 restrictions, Japan welcomed fans to the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya for a curtain-raiser that was initially subdued before bursting into a festival of colour and sound.

Organisers will hope the ceremony can draw a line under a rocky build-up, laden with complaints from athletes and officials involving accommodation and transport.

Hosts Japan bagged the first gold of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after Takumi Hojo powered to victory in the men’s individual triathlon on Sunday, but not before an eventful opening ceremony made the news for the wrong reasons.

Warnings of a typhoon partly explained why Saturday’s opening ceremony took place in front of thousands of empty seats at the 30,000-capacity stadium.

There was a record deluge last week, which flooded parts of Nagoya. Now, a typhoon is approaching eastern Japan, threatening further disruption in the coming days.

Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al-Musallam said they had to keep one block empty because of the games flame, adding that 70 percent of tickets had been sold. However, that contrasted with an announcement at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium that said the ceremony was sold out.

On Friday, Taiwan’s delegation temporarily refused to participate in their welcoming ceremony after sports minister and former Olympic champion Lee Yang was blocked from attending it.