Gill Clark criticizes Asian Games schedule after PV Sindhu suffers Jonatan Christie

Badminton commentator Gill Clark has criticized the planning of badminton matches at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after players were forced to compete late into the night before returning to the court the following morning. Clark questioned the organizers’ planning and highlighted how the lack of recovery time could have affected players competing in one of Asia’s biggest sporting events.

India’s PV Sindhu and Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie were among those in a tough schedule. Both Sindhu and Christie lost their quarterfinal matches after playing night matches the previous day. Clark argued that the turnover between matches left little opportunity for players to rest, recover and adequately prepare for the knockout rounds.

PV Sindhu played three singles matches in less than 24 hourswhich left her with minimal time to rest and recover before her quarterfinal exit.

“The badminton schedule required the players to play 2 matches in one day, with play ending at 2am with literally no spectators present. Media commitments, warm-up, an hour’s drive back to the hotel and the need to eat meant that the last 2 finishers, Sindhu and Christie, probably didn’t get to sleep before 4am. The quarter-finals then started at 9.30am that morning!” Clark wrote.

“Both lost their QF matches. Christie lost for the first time in 11 meetings with Loh Kean Yew, who finished his previous match at 6.20pm, almost 8 hours before Christie finished at 2am,” he added.

Sindhu herself expressed her frustration with the schedule, saying on social media, “Three matches in 18 hours. Back at 3 am, out again at 8.30 am. It took its toll.”

The criticism came amid wider concerns about the organization of the Games, with athletes and teams in several sports reporting logistical difficulties and disruptions. India’s HS Prannoy also described the badminton schedule as cruel, raising concerns about recovery, travel and accommodation.

ALSO FOOTBALL, CRICKET AND VOLLEYBALL

The scheduling controversy was part of a wider pattern of organizational problems at the Asian Games. Pointing to incidents involving football, cricket and volleyball, Clark argued that the trouble went beyond badminton and affected athletes across disciplines.

“At the recent Asian Games in Nagoya, there were cases of football and volleyball teams arriving late for matches after being taken to the wrong venues. And some outdoor sports had no contingency plans to reschedule due to bad weather. The 2 cricket QFs were therefore decided by the world ranking of the teams rather than the actual match,” Clark added.

Pakistan’s volleyball team was taken to the wrong gym ahead of their match against Uzbekistan, forcing the players to change into their jerseys on the bus and leaving them with little time to warm up. The football teams also faced transportation issues, including an incident in which the team bus was taken to the wrong location.

Cricket was hit by persistent rain, with the men’s quarter-finals between India and Afghanistan and Pakistan and Hong Kong cancelled. India and Pakistan advanced to the semi-finals based on their superior world rankings, rather than through on-field results.

The incidents have raised questions about athlete welfare and the planning of a major multi-sport event. While the Asian Games featured memorable performances across disciplines, complaints about scheduling, traffic and unpredictable weather cast a shadow over the competition.

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