Sport · India Bureau
Flag ceremony disrupted at Asiad 2026 over miscommunication issues
The flag-hoisting ceremony for six nations at the Asian Games in Japan was delayed over an hour on Friday due to coordination issues between organizers. India's contingent was among those affected by the disruption.
LSN India ·
The flag ceremony involving India and five other nations at the 2026 Asian Games faced significant disruption on Friday, with organisers citing miscommunication between the Olympic Council of Asia and the local organising committee as the cause.
The event, scheduled for 1:30pm Japan time at Garden Pier near the athletes' residential area, initially began 20 minutes late. A ceremonial band took the stage while performers in Ninja warrior costumes prepared to perform, but the six participating contingents—Yemen, North Korea, Palestine, India, Chinese-Taipei and Timor-Leste—were instructed to remain offstage.
India's chef-de-mission Sahdev Yadav and four deputy chefs-de-mission, including Olympic medallists A Sharath Kamal and Anjali Bhagwat, were present at the venue throughout the delay. The contingents waited over 15 minutes before being allowed to proceed with the ceremony.
The incident underscored coordination challenges between the Olympic Council of Asia and ANAGOC, the local organising committee for the Asiad 2026 games in Japan. Despite the disruption, the flag ceremony eventually concluded, allowing the participating nations to complete the ceremonial proceedings.