ISLAMABAD: The 20th Asian Games opened in Japan’s Nagoya city on Saturday with a glittering ceremony of dance and fireworks, following a buildup marked by operational gaffes and logistical problems.
Five years after the Tokyo Olympics were held at empty venues because of COVID-19 restrictions, Japan welcomed fans to the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium for a curtain-raiser that began in subdued fashion before turning into a festival of colour and sound.
Emperor Naruhito declared the Games open after watching the parade of 45 nations and regions from a dignitaries’ table alongside International Olympic Committee chief Kirsty Coventry. His visit with members of the royal family was accompanied by a heavy security operation, with organisers having said that up to 10,000 police would be deployed for the ceremony.
“While the world is too often divided by conflict, they (the Asiad athletes) remind us that sport remains a powerful force for peace, understanding and friendship among nations,” Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani said in his speech.
Japan’s father-and-son duo Shigenobu Murofushi and Koji Murofushi, both former Asian Games champions in hammer throw, jointly lit the cauldron after climbing a set of stairs at the end of the torch relay.
Organisers will be hoping the ceremony draws a line under a rocky buildup that included complaints from athletes and officials about accommodation and transport arrangements.
Japan’s reputation for precision and efficiency has come under scrutiny as the country hosts more than 11,000 athletes competing for 369 gold medals across a 43-sport programme.
Instead of building a dedicated Games village, organisers housed athletes and officials in a mix of hotel rooms, temporary wooden containers and a cruise ship docked in the bay as part of a cost-cutting measure.
Several national team delegations, including hosts Japan, found the arrangements below par, complaining of mix-ups and double-bookings. South Korea said the containers at Garden Pier were too cramped for their basketball players.
India’s powerful cricket board arranged separate hotel accommodation for the men’s star-studded cricket team because of a tight allocation of beds from the organisers.
Delegations also complained of long waits for athletes registering on arrival, while buses were reported to have turned up late or taken athletes to the wrong venues.
The Olympic Council of Asia, which runs the quadrennial Games, acknowledged the problems on Saturday but described them as teething difficulties.
Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi, the opening ceremony began on a low-key note, with classical music and dance on a heart-shaped stage before the parade of nations, which included a delegation from North Korea.
The spectacle gathered pace later in the evening, with dancers in boiler suits marking Nagoya’s manufacturing tradition before a fireworks display closed the night.
The ceremony’s theme, “Harmonic Heart Beat”, was intended to communicate Asian solidarity at an event often affected by geopolitical tension and historic grievances.
However, hopes for a peaceful Games have already been tested by several incidents. Taiwan’s delegation temporarily refused to participate in its welcoming ceremony on Friday after sports minister and former Olympic champion Lee Yang was blocked from attending it.
The South Korean men’s hockey team were also upset when North Korea’s national anthem was played at the stadium before a match instead of their own.
Competitions in basketball, soccer and other sports have already started, while the first gold medal will be won on Sunday, likely in the triathlon.
A high-class swimming competition is also scheduled to begin in Tokyo on Sunday, with the programme featuring China’s 100 metres freestyle world-record holder Pan Zhanle and 13-year-old Yu Zidi.
Apart from traditional Olympic sports, the Games will feature regional favourites such as kabaddi and sepak takraw, along with modern events. Esports will award medals again after making its debut at Hangzhou, while teqball, a mix of table tennis and soccer, and “virtual taekwondo” will appear at the Games for the first time.
