South Korea miss practice before men’s basketball final due to bus no-show

Sept 20 - The South Korean men's basketball team missed a light practice session on Sunday, hours before they take on hosts Japan in the Asian Games final, after their shuttle bus did not show up, news agency Yonhap reported.

The bus, scheduled to arrive at the team hotel in Nagoya at 10 a.m., failed to arrive, team officials told the South Korean news agency, saying they had received no explanation.

South Korea, aiming to win their first men's basketball gold in the Asian Games since 2014, were set for a shoot-around session at a practice gym in the morning before the final, which starts at 7:40 p.m. (1040 GMT) at the Aichi International Arena.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee told Yonhap it planned to lodge a complaint with the Asian Games organising committee and the Olympic Council of Asia.

Asked for comment, the organisers declined to comment on the incident but told Reuters in an email: "We are working to arrange appropriate transportation services for all athletes, coaches, and event staff to ensure that the competition is not affected."

Multiple organising missteps have plagued the Aichi-Nagoya Games, including accommodation issues and transport mishaps.

South Korea's soccer team faced delays and were driven to the wrong stadium, while the country's hockey players were left bemused when the anthem of rival North Korea was played by mistake during the pre-match ceremony. REUTERS