Archive · 18 Sep 2026
India’s Asian Games Flag Ceremony Disrupted Amid Nagoya Chaos
A special ceremony was planned to welcome five teams to the Asian Games.
India, Yemen, North Korea, Palestine and Timor-Leste were supposed to raise their flags.
The ceremony started 20 minutes late and was then stopped again.
Organisers first said there was trouble with one team.
Later, they said the problem was caused by poor communication between two organising groups.
Some Indian representatives had to return to the waiting area.
The ceremony eventually went ahead after more than an hour.
The delay added to concerns about transport and cramped housing for athletes in Nagoya.
A traditional flag-hoisting ceremony for India and four other teams was delayed and disrupted in Nagoya on Friday.
Yemen, North Korea, Palestine, India and Timor-Leste were scheduled to participate.
The ceremony initially began after a 20-minute delay and was later halted for more than an hour.
Organisers first cited unspecified trouble involving a team, then blamed poor communication between the Olympic Council of Asia Executive Board and the Organising Committee.
The incident added to complaints about delayed arrivals, cramped accommodation and other logistical problems at the Games.
- Who
- India, Yemen, North Korea, Palestine and Timor-Leste, along with Asian Games organisers and Olympic Council of Asia officials.
- What
- A traditional flag-hoisting ceremony was delayed, interrupted and eventually completed.
- When
- Friday, on the eve of the 2026 Asian Games opening.
- Where
- Garden Pier in Nagoya, near container-style athlete accommodation.
- Why
- Organisers first cited unspecified trouble involving a team and later attributed the disruption to poor communication between the Olympic Council of Asia Executive Board and the Organising Committee.
Organisers’ explanation
Critics’ concerns
Cause of the disruption
Organisers’ explanation
Organisers initially referred to unspecified trouble involving a team and later said poor communication between the Olympic Council of Asia Executive Board and the Organising Committee caused the incident.
Critics’ concerns
The delay, interruption and lack of a specific initial explanation were seen as further evidence of organisational problems at the Games.
Games accommodation
Organisers’ explanation
Organisers arranged lodging in container-style huts, a docked cruise ship and hotels instead of building a traditional Games village to cut costs.
Critics’ concerns
Athletes and coaches reportedly faced delayed arrivals and cramped lodging, raising concerns about the adequacy of the arrangements.
- Participating teams
- Yemen, North Korea, Palestine, India and Timor-Leste
- Initial delay
- 20 minutes
- Disruption
- More than one hour
- Ceremony location
- Garden Pier, Nagoya
- Indian representatives
- Sahdev Yadav, A Sharath Kamal, Lijo David Thottan, Alaknanda Ashok and Anjali Bhagwat
- Organisers’ later explanation
- Poor communication between the Olympic Council of Asia Executive Board and the Organising Committee
- Accommodation arrangements
- Container-style huts, a docked cruise ship and hotels were used instead of a traditional Games village
