Nagoya’s mayor, Ichiro Hirosawa, has issued a formal apology to athletes and national delegations following a series of significant logistical blunders at the current Asian Games. As the acting chairman of the organizing committee, Hirosawa admitted that the event has been marred by human error and poor communication, specifically citing failures in transport services and inadequate housing arrangements. With over 17,000 participants—a figure exceeding that of the Olympics—the decision to forgo a traditional athletes' village in favor of scattered accommodations like cruise ships, hotels, and temporary wooden units has been a major point of contention.

The Games, which are set to conclude this Sunday, have faced ongoing criticism ranging from athletes being stranded at the airport to complaints about undersized beds and transportation delays. Beyond these organizational hurdles, the event also faced an embarrassing diplomatic mishap when the wrong national anthem was played for the South Korean team. Mayor Hirosawa acknowledged the severity of these mistakes, promising that the committee is taking the feedback seriously and working to rectify the ongoing issues for the remainder of the competition.