Asian Games: South Korea volleyball team latest to be taken to wrong venue

What the report says

At the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, South Korea’s men’s volleyball team was the latest delegation to be sent to the wrong venue, adding to a series of transport problems that have disrupted the event. According to Al Jazeera’s report based on AFP, an organiser-provided shuttle bus took the team to Okazaki, about an hour from the training site they were meant to reach in Inuyama, forcing the players to cancel a Monday morning practice session before their match against Taiwan.

A Korea Volleyball Association official said the team later filed a formal complaint through South Korea’s Olympic committee. Despite the disruption, South Korea went on to defeat Taiwan 3-1 in the group game. The report said logistical issues at the Games have frustrated athletes and officials, with accommodation and transport among the main concerns for the more than 17,000 people involved.

The volleyball mix-up was not isolated. South Korea’s men’s basketball team reportedly missed a training session last week when their bus did not arrive before their final against Japan, though they still won the title. On the same day as the volleyball incident, Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team was also taken to the wrong arena, delaying its match against Uzbekistan by 45 minutes.

A local organising committee spokesperson said the South Korean and Pakistani teams had departed from the same accommodation and were assigned to the wrong buses, and she apologised for the inconvenience. The episode highlights the challenges of managing transport at a large multi-sport event and raises questions about event operations ahead of the Games’ closing stages.