Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games: Logistics chaos strands athletes for hours

People ride escalators in front of a banner promoting the 2026 Asian Games at the train station in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture on September 16, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Thursday, 17 Sep 2026 8:53 AM MYT

NAGOYA, Sept 17 — Widespread transport delays left numerous athletes and officials from various countries and regions stranded on Wednesday at Aichi Sky Expo, a venue next to Chubu Centrair International Airport, ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, reported Xinhua.

Many arriving delegations waited hours for transfers to their official accommodation, after the on-site system failed to find information for a large number of athletes, leaving them unable to board the pre-arranged shuttle buses. No official explanation was given for the problem.

A group of Chinese delegation members, including several national teams, arrived at the airport around 12.15 pm local time. Some of their information could not be found in the system, preventing the group from boarding the shuttle buses.

The disruption affected delegations from multiple countries and regions. A coach with India’s rowing team said his squad landed at 10 am but waited more than four hours for transport, with teams that arrived even earlier facing similar delays. Only two of the 21 members of China’s gymnastics team could be found in the on-site system, according to a delegation member, leaving the entire team stranded.

Exhausted athletes waited for hours at Aichi Sky Expo, just outside the airport terminals. Many Chinese athletes used the downtime to train, laying out yoga mats to stay warmed up.

“No one has told us the exact departure time. Even staff and volunteers have no clear answers,” a Chinese delegation official said.

The waiting continued through the afternoon. Kazakhstan’s shooting team waited more than two hours without any official explanation. A volunteer said the chaos appeared to stem from poor coordination between departments.

“Many parts of the workflow are not connected. Teams can arrange private transport if they want, but they have to cover the costs themselves,” the volunteer said.

With no clear timeline for the official buses, China’s badminton team tried to take public airport buses but could not get enough tickets for everyone. Some athletes left separately while the rest stayed behind.

The remaining badminton players were helped by staff from the Chinese Consulate General in Nagoya, who arranged chartered vehicles through local overseas Chinese contacts. The full team finally left Aichi Sky Expo at 4.30 pm.

Other Chinese teams also faced long delays. Some members of the table tennis, wushu and rowing teams boarded official buses around 5 pm, while the gymnastics team did not leave until 6 pm – nearly six hours after arriving.

For some delegations, the ordeal lasted far longer. At around 7 pm local time, an official with the Sri Lankan delegation said the team’s total travel and waiting time had stretched to 24 hours since leaving home.

Conditions throughout the day remained basic. Only drinking water was provided at the venue, with no food available.

“These off-field troubles are harder to endure than the competitions themselves,” a fatigued athlete said.

The logistical breakdown before the Games has raised widespread concerns about the host’s ability to run the event smoothly. — Bernama