SportsPosted at: Sep 16 2026 9:53PM


Athletes stranded near airport as Asian Games shuttle service falters

Nagoya (Japan), Sep 16 (UNI) Widespread transport delays left numerous athletes and officials from various countries and regions stranded on Wednesday at Aichi Sky Expo, a venue next to Chubu Centrair International Airport, ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Many arriving delegations waited hours for transfers to their official accommodation, after the on-site system failed to find information for a large number of athletes, leaving them unable to board the pre-arranged shuttle buses. No official explanation was given for the problem.
A group of Chinese delegation members, including several national teams, arrived at the airport around 12:15 p.m. local time. Some of their information could not be found in the system, preventing the group from boarding the shuttle buses.
The disruption affected delegations from multiple countries and regions. A coach with India's rowing team said his squad landed at 10 a.m. but waited more than four hours for transport, with teams that arrived even earlier facing similar delays. Only two of the 21 members of China's gymnastics team could be found in the on-site system, according to a delegation member, leaving the entire team stranded.
Exhausted athletes waited for hours at Aichi Sky Expo, just outside the airport terminals. Many Chinese athletes used the downtime to train, laying out yoga mats to stay warmed up, according
to Xinhua.
"No one has told us the exact departure time. Even staff and volunteers have no clear answers," a Chinese delegation official said.
The waiting continued through the afternoon. Kazakhstan's shooting team waited more than two hours without any official explanation. A volunteer said the chaos appeared to stem from poor coordination between departments.
"Many parts of the workflow are not connected. Teams can arrange private transport if they want, but they have to cover the costs themselves," the volunteer said.
With no clear timeline for the official buses, China's badminton team tried to take public airport buses but could not get enough tickets for everyone. Some athletes left separately while the rest stayed behind.
The remaining badminton players were helped by staff from the Chinese Consulate General in Nagoya, who arranged chartered vehicles through local overseas Chinese contacts. The full team finally left Aichi Sky Expo at 4:30 p.m.
Other Chinese teams also faced long delays. Some members of the table tennis, wushu and rowing teams boarded official buses around 5 p.m., while the gymnastics team did not leave until 6 p.m. -- nearly six hours after arriving.
For some delegations, the ordeal lasted far longer. At around 7 p.m. local time, an official with the Sri Lankan delegation said the team's total travel and waiting time had stretched to 24 hours since leaving home.
Conditions throughout the day remained basic. Only drinking water was provided at the venue, with no food available.
"These off-field troubles are harder to endure than the competitions themselves," a fatigued athlete said.
The logistical breakdown before the Games has raised widespread concerns about the host's ability to run the event smoothly.
UNI BM
Tags: #Athletes stranded near airport as Asian Games shuttle service falters
More News

Bhavani Devi leads India's historic 20-member fencing squad at Asian Games

16 Sep 2026 | 10:12 PM

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) Olympian C A Bhavani Devi will spearhead India's historic 20-member fencing contingent at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, as the country makes its biggest-ever representation in the sport at the continental Games.

see more..

India's squad for home series against West Indies & ROI squad for Irani Cup announced

16 Sep 2026 | 10:02 PM

Mumbai, Sep 16 (UNI The BCCI Men's Selection Committee on Wednesday announced India's squad for the upcoming white-ball home series against the West Indies as well as the Rest of India squad for Irani Cup against the Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir.
Shubman Gill will lead the side in ODIs as India begin building momentum towards the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027.

see more..

Athletes stranded near airport as Asian Games shuttle service falters

16 Sep 2026 | 9:53 PM

Nagoya (Japan), Sep 16 (UNI) Widespread transport delays left numerous athletes and officials from various countries and regions stranded on Wednesday at Aichi Sky Expo, a venue next to Chubu Centrair International Airport, ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

see more..

India Women’s Kabaddi Team Captain Pushpa Rana eyes title defense at 2026 Asian Games

16 Sep 2026 | 9:41 PM

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) As the Indian women’s Kabaddi team gears up to represent the country at the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, captain Pushpa Rana and Pooja Kajla believe the responsibility of defending India’s gold medal comes with confidence and motivation, with the team firmly setting its sights on the top spot.

see more..

Asian Games Basketball Roundup: China, Japan, South Korea, Iran reach semifinals

16 Sep 2026 | 9:32 PM

Nagoya (Japan), Sep 16 (UNI) China, Japan, South Korea and Iran advanced to the men's basketball semifinals at the 2026 Asian Games after winning their respective quarterfinals on Wednesday.

see more..