South Korea became the latest team affected by transport problems at the Asian Games in Japan. The men’s volleyball team was taken to the wrong venue on Monday. The team was travelling to Inuyama for a scheduled training session. However, an organiser-provided shuttle bus took the players to Okazaki instead. Okazaki is about an hour away from their intended training venue. The mistake caused the team to lose valuable time before its group match against Taiwan. An official from the Korea Volleyball Association confirmed the incident to AFP. The official said the team had to cancel its planned practice session.
“With too much time lost to turn back,” the training could not continue, the official said. The Korean side also filed a formal complaint through the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. Despite the disruption, the team later completed its match against Taiwan. South Korea defeated Taiwan 3-1 in the men’s volleyball competition. The latest incident adds to a growing list of transport problems at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Several teams have reported difficulties with buses and other arrangements.
South Korea had already faced another transport issue during the Games. Its men’s basketball team missed a training session after their bus failed to arrive. The basketball team later defeated Japan in the final and won the title. The earlier transport problem therefore did not prevent them from completing their campaign. Pakistan also experienced a similar issue on Monday. The Pakistan men’s volleyball team was taken to the wrong arena before its match against Uzbekistan.
The error delayed that match by 45 minutes. Pakistan captain Murad Jehan also criticised the transport arrangements after the incident. Organisers later explained that both Pakistan and South Korea had left from the same accommodation. They said an error occurred while matching teams with vehicles. According to the local organising committee, both teams boarded buses heading towards the wrong destinations. The committee apologised to the teams for the inconvenience.
The organisers also said they would strengthen checks for team boarding and vehicle destinations. They promised to display destinations more clearly and prevent similar mistakes. The South Korea team latest to be bussed to wrong Asian Games venue incident highlights the transport challenges surrounding the Games. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games have faced several organisational complaints. Teams have raised concerns about accommodation, transport and delays.
More than 17,000 athletes and officials are attending the continental sporting event. Organisers have used hotels, temporary accommodation and a cruise ship to house participants. South Korea has previously raised concerns about its accommodation arrangements. Officials criticised the temporary rooms provided for athletes before the Games began. The transport problems have added another challenge for teams competing across different venues. Athletes often need to travel between accommodation, training facilities and competition sites. For South Korea, the latest bus mistake resulted in a cancelled practice session. However, the team still secured a 3-1 victory over Taiwan.
The incident is now part of wider scrutiny over logistics at the Asian Games. Organisers have acknowledged the mistake and said further checks will be introduced.
Pakistan hosted the South Korean hockey team for a training camp from July 27 to August 9.