Nagoya, September 16 (Daily Kiran) : As the Asian Games approach, athletes from various countries found themselves stranded near Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport on Wednesday. Delays in transport services at the Aichi Sky Expo left many waiting for hours to reach their accommodations.
Multiple teams were unable to board their scheduled shuttle buses due to a malfunction in the system that failed to recognize a significant number of athletes. There was no official communication regarding the issue, adding to the confusion.
A group from the Chinese delegation arrived around 12:15 PM local time, but their details were not found in the system, preventing them from boarding the shuttles. This glitch affected teams from several nations. One member noted that out of 21 gymnasts, only two were recognized, leaving the rest stuck.
Frustrated athletes waited outside the airport terminal for hours. Some Chinese competitors took advantage of the downtime to train, laying out yoga mats for warm-ups. A Chinese official expressed frustration, stating, “No one informed us about the timing for departure. Even the staff and volunteers had no clear answers.”
The wait extended throughout the afternoon. The Kazakhstani shooting team spent over two hours waiting without any official updates. A volunteer suggested that the disarray stemmed from poor coordination among departments.
“Many parts of the operation are not interconnected. Teams can arrange private transport, but they have to cover the costs themselves,” the volunteer added.
Without a clear schedule for official buses, the Chinese badminton team attempted to use public transport, but tickets were unavailable for everyone. Some athletes chose to leave separately while others remained behind.
Support came from the Chinese consulate in Nagoya, which organized chartered vehicles through local contacts. Eventually, the entire badminton team departed from the Aichi Sky Expo at around 4:30 PM.
Other Chinese teams also faced significant delays. 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 their arrival.
For some teams, the troubles lasted even longer. A Sri Lankan official reported that their total travel and waiting time had extended to 24 hours since leaving home.
Conditions throughout the day were challenging. Only drinking water was provided at the venue, with no food options available, causing considerable discomfort for athletes and officials. One exhausted competitor remarked, “These issues outside the venue are more difficult than the competitions themselves.”
This logistical chaos before the games has raised serious concerns about the host country’s ability to manage the event effectively.
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