Nagoya Apologizes After Series of Organisational Errors and Controversial Incident Involving Iraqi Weightlifter

Nagoya’s municipal authorities issued an official apology on Wednesday to athletes and international delegations competing at the Asian Games following a series of organisational problems during the event.

Mayor and acting head of the local organising committee Ichiro Hirosawa acknowledged that human errors and communication problems with national teams had occurred, leading to complaints from participants.

The reported issues included difficulties with accommodation, disruptions to athlete transportation, delayed or missing buses, and vehicles being directed to the wrong sporting venues. Organisers had also apologised to South Korea after mistakenly playing North Korea’s national anthem.

The Iraqi delegation was also caught up in the organisational problems after weightlifter Ali Ammar Yasser was unable to complete his third and final attempt in the +110kg event, potentially affecting his chances of competing for the gold medal.

His father and coach said the organisers initially displayed the Iranian flag on the main screen and activated the preparation timer before switching to the Iraqi flag while the countdown was already underway. This, they said, left the Iraqi athlete with insufficient time to reach the platform, after which a technical error was recorded and his final attempt was ruled out.

Ali Ammar finished with a total of 465kg, just one kilogram behind Iran’s Ali Davoudi, who claimed gold with 466kg. Despite missing the opportunity to challenge for the gold, the Iraqi lifter set a world record in the snatch with a 219kg lift, while the circumstances surrounding his final attempt added to concerns over the event’s organisation.