Asian Games 2026: India Among Teams Affected by Flag Hoisting Delay
India and four other contingents were left waiting after the Asian Games flag-hoisting ceremony in Nagoya was delayed and later interrupted.
India were among five contingents affected after the traditional Asian Games flag-hoisting ceremony was delayed and later halted in Nagoya on September 18. Yemen, North Korea, Palestine, India and Timor-Leste were scheduled to participate in the ceremony at Garden Pier.
Organisers initially attributed the delay to unspecified “trouble” involving one of the teams and said they would attempt to resume the event after 15 minutes. The ceremony eventually started about 20 minutes late but was interrupted again, leaving the participating delegations waiting.
India’s four deputy chefs de mission, A Sharath Kamal, Lijo David Thottan, Alaknanda Ashok and Anjali Bhagwat, were present at the venue. Sharath Kamal and Anjali Bhagwat had begun moving towards the dais before returning to the waiting area after the proceedings were stopped.
The disruption came a day before the official opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 19. It also followed concerns raised over accommodation, transport and logistical arrangements for athletes and officials in Nagoya.
Indian MMA athlete Varun Sanyal had previously spoken about accommodation-related difficulties, while India’s Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav acknowledged issues with some arrangements. Badminton player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy had also mentioned delays involving transportation.
With competitions already underway in several disciplines, attention now turns to the opening ceremony and the organisation of the remaining Games.
