Why was the 2026 Asian Games flag-raising ceremony postponed?

The Indian national flag among the flags of the participating countries on site during the official welcome and flag-raising ceremony ahead of the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. (PTI Photo/Arun Sharma) NAGOYA: The clock is ticking in Japan, which is very unusual. A country synonymous with punctuality and quiet efficiency is running against time in its role as host of the Asian Games.On Friday, the flag-raising ceremony for the six contingents – India, Yemen, North Korea, Palestine, Chinese Taipei and East Timor – was delayed by more than an hour due to what organizers described as “miscommunication” between the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Games Organizing Committee (ANAGOC).The ceremony at the Garden Pier was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. local time, but was initially pushed back 20 minutes, after which a ceremonial band began playing. Just before the contingents were to take the stage, they were asked not to proceed and were made to wait before eventually being sent back to the waiting area.No Indian sportsperson was present but Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav and Deputy Chefs of the Mission Sharath Kamal, Anjali Bhagwat, Lijo Thottan and Alaknanda Ashok were present.Initially, the delay was attributed to the late arrival of the chief guest. An ANAGOC official later offered a different explanation.“Communication between the Olympic Council of Asia Executive Committee and the Organizing Committee was not good, that’s why it happened. It’s not like anyone is delaying the ceremony,” the official said.‘MISMANAGEMENT HAS OCCURRED’India’s chef de mission Yadav, meanwhile, sought to ensure that efforts were made to ensure that athletes were not inconvenienced by the organizational problems that have plagued the Games in the run-up.“Initially there were problems but we have booked more hotel rooms. Our officials are at the airport to resolve the issues. There is mismanagement but it happens in games of this magnitude but we are focused on solving the problem of our athletes. We have booked about 18 more hotel rooms and now we are looking at 10 more,” Yadav told reporters.