Logistical challenges continue to plague the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya as yet another team fell victim to a transport mix-up. On Monday morning, an official shuttle bus meant to transport the South Korean men’s volleyball team to a training facility in Inuyama instead dropped the athletes off in Okazaki, a location roughly an hour away from their intended destination. “With too much time lost to turn back, the training was cancelled.
An official from the Korea Volleyball Association stated that the team had no choice but to cancel their practice session as the delay made it impossible to return on time. The association subsequently filed a formal complaint through the South Korean Olympic committee (KSOC) regarding the error. Despite the disruption, the team successfully rebounded later that day to secure a 3-1 victory over Taiwan.
This incident is part of a growing pattern of organizational failures that have frustrated participants throughout the Games, which are managing transport and housing for over 17,000 athletes and officials. Earlier last week, the South Korean men’s basketball squad missed a practice session prior to their final against Japan because their transport simply failed to arrive. Fortunately, the disruption did not impact their performance, as they went on to clinch the tournament title.
The transportation issues were not limited to the South Korean delegation on Monday. The Pakistan men’s volleyball team was also transported to the incorrect arena ahead of their match against Uzbekistan, causing a 45-minute delay. During the incident, Pakistan captain Murad Jehan posted an Instagram video from the bus criticizing the situation as a clear example of Japanese mismanagement.
A spokesperson for the local organising committee acknowledged that both the Pakistani and South Korean teams had departed from the same accommodation hub, leading to an error in assigning squads to the correct vehicles. She expressed sincere apologies to both teams for the significant inconvenience caused by the logistical oversight.
The committee official emphasized that the organizers are treating the matter with the utmost seriousness. She pledged that the committee would reinforce basic operational protocols to ensure that all vehicle destinations are clearly displayed and properly verified by boarding teams to prevent any further recurrences.
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