More athletes than the Olympics, but plenty of problems as Asian Games open in Japan

The 20th Asian Games, opening in Nagoya, Japan, promises a large-scale multi-sport event with more than 17,000 participants, exceeding the number seen in the Olympics.

Despite facing logistical and weather-related challenges, including no traditional athletes' village and flooding, organizers are committed to delivering a spectacular event.

The Games, featuring over 40 sports and several Olympic-bound competitions, spotlight emerging talents like Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi, while traditional and new sports such as eSports and BMX cycling aim to attract a broader audience.

China, with a strong contingent of athletes, seeks to continue its dominance in the medals tally.

NAGOYA, Sept 19 — The 20th Asian Games will open in Japan later Saturday with a glittering ceremony following a stuttering build-up to a multi-sport spectacular that has more participants than the Olympics.

The first gold medal will be won on Sunday morning, likely in the men’s individual triathlon, and will be followed by 468 more in more than 40 sports before the curtain comes down on October 4.

The event in Nagoya and Aichi prefecture has 2028 Olympics places up for grabs in seven sports and will be graced by global stars.

But it has been dogged by a series of problems in the lead-up.

The 17,000 participants – more than the Olympics – stretched organisers to the limit as they scrambled to find accommodation for everyone.

To save money, there is no traditional athletes’ village, with competitors instead staying in a combination of temporary container-style huts, hotels and the cruise ship Costa Serena.

To add to the issues, there was a record deluge last week which flooded parts of Nagoya city, while a tropical storm is approaching eastern Japan and could cause further disruption on Sunday and Monday.

Some athletes were left stranded at the airport when transport failed to turn up, while several teams have complained about the quality of the huts, including beds being too short.

In the latest mishap, North Korea’s national anthem was played on Friday for South Korea’s men’s hockey team.

“This is a really serious problem,” said South Korea coach Min Tae-seok.

On Saturday, with the opening ceremony hours away, India drafted in a new flag-bearer after shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor’s luggage did not have his ceremonial kit.

Kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat will replace him, Indian media said.

Organisers are insisting that the latest edition of the Games, which were first held in 1951, will be “the most spectacular for generations”.

Basketball, football and cricket are among the sports already under way.

As always at the Asian Games, Olympic staples such as athletics and swimming will sit side-by-side with regional favourites like sepak takraw and kabaddi.

In a bid to attract younger viewers, there will be eSports, breakdancing and BMX cycling.

Padel, the fast-growing racquet sport, and MMA will make their Asian Games debuts.

Among those competing will be Philippine tennis sensation Alexandra Eala and a pair of prodigies in 15-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi.

Yu will be in action in the pool straightaway on Sunday in the heats of the women’s 200m butterfly.

Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting will also be competing, two years after she won Paris Olympics gold in the middle of a major gender row that saw her eligibility questioned.

Hosts Japan will look to their Olympic champions for success, with gymnast Shinnosuke Oka and javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguchi named in their team.

North Korea will have more than 100 athletes competing across 14 sports, aiming to “bring joy to Marshal Kim Jong Un”.

China will again expect to top the medals table after winning a whopping 201 golds and 383 medals on home soil in Hangzhou at the Covid-delayed Games in 2023.

They are sending more than 800 athletes, including 36 Olympic champions.

Sooryavanshi will be part of an India cricket team looking to make a statement before the sport returns to the Olympics in Los Angeles after an absence of 128 years.

India could face bitter rivals Pakistan in the final at Nagoya’s new purpose-built cricket ground — if forecast rain does not intervene. — AFP

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第20届亚运会在日本名古屋开幕，预计将有超过17000名参与者，这将是一场大规模的综合性运动会，参赛人数将超过奥运会。

尽管面临后勤和天气方面的挑战，包括没有传统的运动员村和洪水，但组织者仍致力于举办一场精彩的赛事。

本届运动会包含 40 多个体育项目和多项奥运会比赛项目，重点展示了印度板球运动员 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 和中国游泳运动员余子迪等新兴人才，同时电子竞技和 BMX 自行车等传统和新兴体育项目也旨在吸引更广泛的观众。

中国拥有一支强大的运动员队伍，力求继续保持其在奖牌榜上的统治地位。

名古屋，9 月 19 日——第 20 届亚运会将于周六晚些时候在日本开幕，此前该赛事经历了一段波折的筹备期，但最终将以一场盛大的开幕式拉开帷幕。这场综合性运动会的参赛人数超过了奥运会。

第一枚金牌将于周日上午产生，很可能是在男子个人铁人三项比赛中产生。随后，在 10 月 4 日闭幕之前，还将有 40 多个体育项目的 468 枚金牌产生。

在名古屋和爱知县举行的这项赛事将决出七个体育项目的 2028 年奥运会参赛名额，届时将有全球明星出席。

但在此之前，它一直受到一系列问题的困扰。

17000名参赛者——比奥运会参赛人数还多——让组织者疲于奔命，他们不得不竭尽全力为所有人寻找住宿。

为了节省开支，没有传统的运动员村，参赛选手们住在临时集装箱式小屋、酒店和歌诗达塞雷纳号游轮上。

雪上加霜的是，上周名古屋市部分地区遭遇了创纪录的暴雨，而热带风暴正在逼近日本东部，可能会在周日和周一造成进一步的破坏。

由于交通工具未能按时到达，一些运动员被困在机场；另有几支队伍抱怨营地小屋的质量，包括床太短。

在最近一次事故中，朝鲜国歌于周五在韩国男子冰球队比赛时播放。

“这确实是个很严重的问题，”韩国队教练闵泰锡说道。

周六，距离开幕式还有几个小时，印度临时找来了一位新的旗手，因为铅球运动员塔金德帕尔·辛格·图尔的行李里没有他的仪式装备。

据印度媒体报道，卡巴迪运动员帕万·塞拉瓦特将取代他的位置。

组织者坚称，自 1951 年首次举办奥运会以来，最新一届奥运会将是“几代人以来最精彩的一届”。

篮球、足球和板球等比赛项目已经开始。

与往届亚运会一样，田径、游泳等奥运经典项目将与藤球、卡巴迪等地区热门项目并肩亮相。

为了吸引年轻观众，节目中将有电子竞技、霹雳舞和BMX自行车表演。

快速发展的球拍运动板式网球和综合格斗将在亚运会上首次亮相。

参赛选手包括菲律宾网球新星亚历山德拉·埃拉，以及两位天才少年：15 岁的印度板球运动员瓦伊巴夫·苏里亚万什和 13 岁的中国游泳运动员于子迪。

余将于周日立即参加女子200米蝶泳预赛。

台湾拳击手林玉婷也将参赛，两年前她在巴黎奥运会上夺得金牌，当时正值一场重大的性别争议，她的参赛资格受到质疑。

东道主日本将寄希望于他们的奥运冠军取得成功，体操运动员冈慎之介和标枪运动员北口遥入选了他们的队伍。

朝鲜将派出 100 多名运动员参加 14 个体育项目的比赛，目标是“给金正恩元帅带来欢乐”。

中国将在2023年杭州冬奥会上再次位居奖牌榜榜首，此前中国队在本土赢得了惊人的201枚金牌和383枚奖牌（该届冬奥会因新冠疫情而推迟）。

他们将派出 800 多名运动员，其中包括 36 名奥运冠军。

苏利耶万什将加入印度板球队，力图在板球运动时隔 128 年重返洛杉矶奥运会之前，展现出强大的实力。

如果预报的降雨不影响比赛，印度队可能在名古屋新建的专用板球场与宿敌巴基斯坦队争夺冠军。——法新社

居住在日本的印度人已做好准备，为亚运会运动员提供住所。

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