Amid teen triumph and organisational chaos, Asian Games close in Japan

After two weeks of youthful brilliance on the field amid logistical dysfunction and subdued public interest off it, the curtain has come down on the 20th Asian Games in Japan.

Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani declared the Games closed at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Sunday, with the torch handed to organisers of the next event in Doha, Qatar, in 2030.

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Some 17,000 athletes and officials came for the Aichi-Nagoya showpiece – more than the participants in the Paris Olympics – with athletes competing in 469 gold-medal events spanning Tokyo to Osaka.

A performer carries the Olympic Council of Asia flag on a horse during the closing ceremony [David Gray/AFP]

The massive scale clashed with organisers’ planning for a “simple, streamlined and functional event” — and the results were often chaotic.

Athletes and teams complained of bungled accommodation and transport, prompting repeated apologies from the embarrassed organising committee.

Despite the challenges, the games were lifted by the performances of teenage titans, led by China’s 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi.

Awarded the female Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the games, Yu is on track for a huge Los Angeles Olympics after claiming three individual gold medals in the Tokyo pool.

She swam the second-fastest time in winning the 200 metres individual medley, setting up a battle royale with Canada’s world-record holder Summer McIntosh.

Her 19-year-old teammate Zhang Zhanshuo became the first swimmer to win seven golds at the games, while Japan’s 17-year-old wunderkind Shin Ohashi smashed the 200m breaststroke world record.

Track and field events were lit up by young athletes as well, with China’s 18-year-old Yan Ziyi producing a world-class throw to win the women’s javelin gold while 20-year-old Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson swept the 100m and 200m to become the men’s MVP.

Thailand’s Puripol Boonson, 20, won two gold medals and a silver, as well as set two new Asian Games records  [Toru Hanai/Getty Images]

No games village

The athletes performed despite regular logistical failures and occasional diplomatic gaffes.

“Accommodation, transport and other issues — it seems a lot of teams were affected,” Hong Kong team chef de mission Wong Po-kee told the Reuters news agency on Sunday.

Organisers opted to house athletes and officials in a mix of hotels, wooden container units and a cruise ship to cut costs rather than build a dedicated athletes’ village.

They budgeted for 15,000 athletes and officials — about 2,000 fewer than total registrations — and struggled to manage them.

Waves of athletes spent up to 12 hours waiting to be registered on arrival.

While checking in, some found their rooms double-booked or being shared by the wrong teammates.

Transport problems dogged the games throughout, with athletes’ shuttle buses failing to turn up or taking them to the wrong venues. Several competitions were delayed due to these errors.

South Korea’s delegation was particularly aggrieved, with their team chef de mission marking the games’ organisation with an “F”, the lowest grade.

South Korean men’s footballers were upset when their national flag could not be hoisted for the national anthem at the victory ceremony after they beat Japan for the gold medal on Saturday.

Earlier, the North Korean national anthem was played for South Korea’s men’s hockey team in another awkward mix-up.

Performers at the closing ceremony of the Asian Games [David Gray/AFP]

Five years after the Tokyo Olympics were staged without fans due to COVID-19 restrictions, Japan’s first major multisport event was blighted by poor crowds.

Fewer than 1,000 spectators watched the hosts beat South Korea in a women’s football semifinal at a 50,000-capacity stadium.

Much smaller venues were often nearly empty, though many were based in far-flung locations, making access a challenge.

“If I had to say, well, I don’t think it was a success,” Nagoya resident Naoko Toda, who watched several competitions, told Reuters before the closing ceremony.

Despite the issues, the games’ governing body OCA declared Aichi-Nagoya a success and praised organisers for their frugal arrangements.

China topped the table with 341 medals, including 169 gold, with its best haul at an overseas Asian Games.

Japan also delivered for fans who tuned in, with 83 gold medals out of 269, smashing its previous record at Hiroshima 1994.

Padel, mixed martial arts, teqball and surfing made their games debuts in a record 43-sport programme that dwarfed the Paris Olympics.

Qatar is set to host the next continental games in 2030, though the OCA may elect to push it back a year to serve as the continent’s Olympic qualifiers before Brisbane 2032.