Asian Games Chief: Keep Politicians Out Of Sport After Taiwan Row In Nagoya

Politics has no place in sport, the head of the Olympic Council of Asia said Saturday, after a Taiwanese government minister was caught up in a diplomatic flare-up at the Asian Games.

The Incident At The Flag Ceremony

Lee Yang, Taiwan's sport minister and a former Olympic badminton champion, was turned away on Friday from a flag-raising ceremony, prompting his delegation to boycott the event in protest.

He was let in eventually, though the ceremony began more than an hour behind schedule. Taiwan's cabinet said in a statement that Lee held the accreditation he needed and had faced "unreasonable obstruction".

What The OCA President Said

Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani told a news conference he had not been briefed on what happened, but was clear about where he stands on political involvement in the four-yearly event.

"I think that our focus here is on the athletes and on making sure that everyone, all the athletes, have the equal rights in competing and in having their freedom," the Qatari said in Nagoya.

"So I don't think the politicians or politics should be involved in sports. That's my opinion."

Who The Ceremony Was For

OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam said the ceremony had been arranged for those taking part in the Games. "(It's) not for the delegation from the ministry or from the government," he said.

Lee himself won men's doubles badminton gold at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

Complaints Over Organization

The run-up to the Aichi-Nagoya Games has been clouded by grievances from national teams about how the event is being run, with transport and athlete housing drawing particular criticism.

Sheikh Joaan backed the local organizing committee, saying accommodation problems were being handled as they came up. "I think everything is hopefully being back on track," he said.

A Programme Bigger Than The Olympics

The logistical strain reflects the sheer scale of the event, which carries a record 43 sports and 469 medal events — well beyond the summer Olympics' 32 sports and 329 events.

The OCA stood by that breadth. Nagoya introduces "virtual" taekwondo while keeping breaking and esports on the schedule. "We are very proud that the Asian Games (are) bigger than any other games with low cost," Al-Musallam said.