The key facts

  • On Monday at the Para Games in Nagoya, the wrong anthems were played three times: Iran's anthem sounded twice instead of the anthems of Taiwan and Mongolia, and before the volleyball match China — Iran, South Korea's anthem played for about five seconds instead of China's.
  • Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hiroswa apologized and called the repetition of the mistakes 'unacceptable,' since operations had been reviewed after the Asian Games.
  • The Asian Games, which ended in early October, were also criticized for anthem mistakes, including playing the North Korean anthem for the South Korean hockey team on September 18.

Three mistakes in one day

At the Asian Para Games currently taking place in Nagoya, Japan, national anthems were mistakenly played three times. According to city representatives at the mayor's press conference, on Monday a Taiwanese athlete won the men's para-taekwondo competition, but the anthem of Iran was played in full; the mistake was noticed only after the ceremony. The same day, Iran's anthem sounded again at the award ceremony in women's para-taekwondo, where an athlete from Mongolia received the gold. The music was stopped after the Mongolian delegation pointed out the error, after which the organizers played Mongolia's anthem using a recording provided by the delegation.

Mistake before the volleyball match

Also on Monday, before the sitting volleyball match between China and Iran, the organizers played South Korea's anthem for about five seconds instead of China's anthem.

Mayor's apology

Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hiroswa apologized on Wednesday. 'This happened during the Asian Games, so of course the operations were reviewed and analyzed taking the lessons learned into account. That it happened again is truly unacceptable,' he said at a press conference. According to him, what happened is 'unacceptable, or rather painful,' and he deeply regrets it. The mayor added that otherwise the tournament, in his feeling, is going smoothly.

Context of the Asian Games

The Asian Games, which ended in early October, were criticized for shortcomings — from unsuitable athlete accommodation conditions to anthem mistakes. On September 18, the organizers played the North Korean anthem for the South Korean hockey team. The Para Games in Nagoya, a central Japanese city, run through Saturday; about 4,000 athletes and officials are participating in 18 sports.