Asian Games Chaos! Typhoon Dujuan disrupts horse race; India’s three-day program was cut short

An area around a ramen restaurant is flooded by heavy rain as Typhoon Dujuan approaches in Oamishirasato, Chiba Prefecture, Japan (Reuters) New Delhi: Typhoon Dujuan cast a shadow over the Asian Games on Monday, forcing organizers to postpone the opening day of the equestrian event at the Tokyo Equestrian Park as a precaution against worsening weather.The dressage stage involving Indian riders was called off after organizers became concerned about heavy rain and strong winds that could worsen conditions. The Indian rider told TOI that the decision was taken as a safety precaution and the riders were asked to stay indoors before returning to their designated team hotel.With the postponement, the three-day program was squeezed into two days. Dressage and cross-country will now be held on Tuesday, with jumping scheduled for Wednesday.While swimming and cycling continued largely unchanged in Tokyo, outdoor equestrian competition bore the brunt of the approaching storm.The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that Dujuan could bring intense rain, strong winds and flooding to eastern Japan. Heavy rain is expected to continue until Tuesday.Meanwhile, some Indian riders have raised concerns about communication from team chief Lt Col Sandeep Dewan. Riders alleged that while Dewan attended official delegation meetings, information from those meetings was not shared with them.They also said they were not consulted about attending the opening ceremony. The riders emphasized that the starting order should first be discussed between the athletes and the coach before being finalized and given to the chef.The concerns come with India looking to defend their dressage gold from the previous Asian Games as the competition continues in challenging weather.