Nagoya mayor apologises after wrong national anthems played three times at Asian Para Games in Japan

Three anthem mix-ups

On Monday, a Taiwanese athlete won a men’s para taekwondo event, but the ceremony played Iran’s anthem from start to finish, Nagoya officials said. The same anthem was used later that day as a Mongolian competitor received gold in women’s para taekwondo.

City officials said organisers subsequently played Mongolia’s anthem after receiving the music from the delegation. The third error occurred on September 18, when North Korea’s anthem was played for South Korea’s hockey team.

Mayor expresses regret

Nagoya’s mayor apologised at a news conference, calling the repeated mistakes unacceptable and saying he was sorry. He also said the event was otherwise running smoothly. The mayor said organisers had reviewed operations and examined lessons after anthem problems during the Asian Games. He said the fact that another incident had occurred was unacceptable.

Earlier Games mishaps

The Asian Para Games took place in Nagoya, Japan, weeks after the city hosted the Asian Games. The latest anthem errors revived concerns following the earlier event’s operational problems.

The report identifies three incidents across the para tournament: the two Monday taekwondo ceremonies and the September 18 hockey ceremony. In the Mongolian medal ceremony, organisers later played the correct anthem after the delegation supplied the music.