Nagoya Mayor Apologises After Wrong Anthems Played Three Times at Asian Para Games
Officials in central Japan mistakenly played the Iranian anthem for Taiwanese and Mongolian medalists, alongside another audio mix-up.
At a glance
- Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa apologised after incorrect national anthems were played three times at the Asian Para Games.
- The Iranian anthem was mistakenly played during medal ceremonies for athletes representing Taiwan and Mongolia.
- Organisers also briefly aired South Korea's anthem instead of China's, echoing similar mix-ups at the preceding Asian Games.
Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa apologised on Wednesday after organisers played incorrect national anthems during three separate events at the Asian Para Games in central Japan. The blunders occurred just weeks after the city faced widespread criticism for operational problems while hosting the Asian Games.
Speaking at a news conference, Hirosawa expressed regret and called the repeat errors unacceptable and painful. Municipal officials had previously pledged to improve operational controls following anthem blunders and logistical challenges during the Asian Games, which ended earlier in October.
Taekwondo and Volleyball Incidents
The latest mishaps occurred on Monday across two different sports. Following a men's para taekwondo contest won by an athlete from Taiwan, tournament staff played Iran's national anthem in its entirety. Nagoya officials admitted that staff only detected the error after the medal ceremony had finished.
The Iranian anthem was mistakenly broadcast again later that day during a women's para taekwondo ceremony as a gold medalist from Mongolia stood on the podium. Organisers stopped the audio after the Mongolian delegation intervened and pointed out the error. The ceremony was completed after the delegation supplied organisers with a recording of the Mongolian anthem to play instead.
In a third incident on Monday, tournament audio operators broadcast the South Korean national anthem for roughly five seconds instead of China's anthem prior to a sitting volleyball fixture between China and Iran.
Echoes of Asian Games Blunders
Hirosawa maintained that despite the embarrassing anthem mix-ups, the multi-sport event was otherwise proceeding smoothly. The Asian Para Games in Nagoya features roughly 4,000 athletes and officials participating across 18 sports through Saturday.
The mistakes follow scrutiny over the Asian Games held in the city earlier in the autumn. That tournament drew condemnation over poor accommodation conditions for competitors as well as anthem mistakes, including a September 18 incident where organisers played the North Korean national anthem for the South Korean hockey team.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Which anthems were mistakenly played at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya?
- Organisers played the Iranian anthem for gold medalists from Taiwan and Mongolia, and briefly played South Korea's anthem instead of China's before a sitting volleyball match.
- How did local authorities respond to the anthem mistakes?
- Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa issued a public apology at a news conference, describing the recurring anthem errors as unacceptable and painful.
- Had similar anthem mix-ups occurred in Nagoya recently?
- Yes, during the Asian Games in September, organisers mistakenly broadcast North Korea's national anthem for the South Korean hockey team.
