Korea Wins Without Playing... Another Mishap by Japanese Organizers Disqualifies Qatar

Qatari eFootball Player Disqualified for Late Check-In

Suspicion Raised Over Wrong Waiting Room Instructions

Organizing Committee Issues Official Apology Amid Recurring Incidents

The controversy surrounding the operational incompetence of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee is showing no signs of abating. After incidents such as taking the Korean men’s national football team to the wrong venue and failing to provide a shuttle bus for the men’s basketball team’s final-day training, suspicions have now been raised that a Qatari athlete was disqualified from an e-sports event due to incorrect guidance from the organizing committee.

Shinhwa Yonhap News

On September 23, international media outlets, including Yahoo Sports Taiwan, reported that at the eFootball group stage match between Korea and Qatar held on September 22, the Qatari athlete was disqualified for failing to check in by the designated time. As a result, Korea was awarded a victory without actually playing the match.

The controversy centers on the reason for the disqualification. Quoting reports from Chinese media, Yahoo Sports Taiwan stated that there are suspicions the Qatari athletes moved to the wrong waiting room based on guidance from an event official, which led them to miss the check-in time. Regarding this allegation, the organizing committee has stated that it is currently verifying the facts.

The outlet also linked this incident to the earlier shuttle bus mishap involving the Korean men’s national football team. On September 15, before the men’s football group stage match between Korea and Qatar, the official shuttle bus carrying both teams headed to a nearby baseball stadium rather than the correct venue, the Mizuho Park Rugby Stadium. This mistake delayed the teams’ arrival at the venue, pushing the match start time back by about 30 minutes. The Korean team also faced disruptions in their recovery training the following day because vehicles were not properly prepared.

The men's basketball national team also suffered setbacks. On the 20th, Korea had planned a morning shooting practice ahead of the final against Japan, but the shuttle bus requested from the organizing committee never showed up, forcing the team to cancel the training. Korea entered the final without proper pre-game practice and went on to defeat Japan 67-57, securing the gold medal. Yonhap News

The men’s basketball team also suffered setbacks. On September 20, Korea had planned a morning shooting practice ahead of the final against Japan, but the requested shuttle bus from the organizing committee never showed up, forcing the team to cancel the training. Korea went into the final without proper pre-game preparation and defeated Japan 67-57 to secure the gold medal.

Regarding the so-called "bus no-show" incident, the organizing committee eventually acknowledged responsibility. On September 22, Takaaki Omi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee, met with reporters and apologized, saying, "Due to an error, the vehicle was not dispatched for the Korean basketball team. It was clearly a mistake on the part of the organizing committee." Additional reports indicate that other transport-related issues affected other teams, such as the Japanese water polo team, whose scheduled shuttle bus also failed to arrive at the designated time at their accommodation.

The operational mishaps were not limited to transport. On September 18, prior to the men’s hockey match between Korea and Bangladesh, an unprecedented incident occurred when the North Korean anthem was played instead of the South Korean national anthem. The organizing committee admitted it was a "serious mistake that should never have happened," directly apologized to the Korean delegation, and delivered an official letter of apology from the committee chair. The cause was identified as a field staff member selecting the wrong audio file.

From the early stages of the competition, accidents have been recurring, leading to critical coverage by the local Japanese media regarding the organizing committee's operations. On the 22nd, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun highlighted complaints erupting from various countries, pointing out key issues such as the national athlete Oh Yeonju and the failure to provide shuttle buses. Xinhua News Agency Yonhap News

With repeated mishaps from the very start of the competition, local Japanese media outlets have continued to publish critical reports about the committee’s management. On September 22, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun highlighted that "complaints are erupting from various countries" over the tournament’s management, pointing to issues such as the national anthem mix-up involving Oh Yeonju and the failure to provide shuttle buses as key examples. Nikkan Sports also reported on the committee’s apology over the missing shuttle bus for the Korean basketball team, noting that "transportation troubles continue to occur."

The organizing committee has stated that it is working on improvements for the areas where problems have arisen. However, as major and minor mishaps persist even after the event officially began, criticism of "operational incompetence" is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. If the current allegations that the wrong waiting room directions during the eFootball event were due to the committee’s mistake are confirmed, the fallout is expected to be even greater. This incident may escalate into a broader issue of fairness, as operational errors not only caused inconvenience, but also directly affected match results and player disqualifications.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.