Tag: Asian Games

So would these same people not stand for the Chinese national anthem as well since they killed more Koreans during the Korean War than the Japanese ever did during the colonial occupation:

Etiquette is a pivotal part of sports.

By this standard, the ongoing Asian Games leave a lot to be desired.

At the kickoff of the Korea-Japan quarterfinal soccer match, few Korean fans bothered to stand up when the opposing team’s national anthem was played.

A plea was repeatedly made through the public announcement system for the fans to stand up when the anthems were played at Munhak Stadium.

The fans’ behavior reflected the bitter memories of Japan’s 36-year occupation, but it is worth thinking what effects the Korean fans’ standing up in respect could have had on their image as the hosts of the Games.

It also marked a contrast to a group of Japanese fans remaining on their feet while the Korean national anthem was played after theirs was over.

“It is disrespectful to stay seated while other countries’ anthem is played,” said Na Kyung-im, a fan from Incheon. “If some foreigners sit and do that while Korea’s anthem is being played, do you think that makes you feel good?”  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link.

It seems like if you were a Japanese athlete that committing theft in South Korea at such a highly visible event such as the Asian Games would be the last thing you would want to do:

A Japanese swimmer suspected of stealing a camera at the Asian Games has been summarily indicted by local authorities and remains in South Korea awaiting a decision on his case, games organizers said Wednesday.

Naoya Tomita, who won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, has been fined 1 million Korean won ($950) for stealing the camera from a photojournalist after failing to win a medal in any of his events in Incheon. He was caught on a venue surveillance video taking the camera and putting it in his bag.

Japanese team officials say Tomita admitted to taking the camera and apologized.

He has been expelled from the Japanese team, the first time that has ever happened for a swimmer, and has been kicked out of the athletes’ village. [Asian Correspondent]

According to this quite detailed post over at the Marmot’s Hole the Incheon Asian Games has moved well passed just being a fiasco:

 1.Stadiums getting blackouts
2. Athlete’s lunch boxes found with salmonella
3. Volunteers asking for athletes signatures and making them late to their events – because they got 1 hour of training 1 week before the Games started.
4. 20% of interpreters quitting (because they had to pay for their own transport to and from the Games),
5. Athletes’ rooms not having fans or A/C,
6. Athletes’ rooms crammed with three beds and cramming athletes in them because they don’t have enough rooms
7. No mosquito screens for the rooms, subpar quality food for the athletes – partially caused by the fact that the majority of the cooks are college kids majoring in food science
8. Beach volleyball site doesn’t have changing rooms
9. Badminton stadium has A/C with strong wind that got the complaints of all athletes including Korean ones
10. Thailand baseball team had to practice in the dark because the lights weren’t on

You can read more about the issues the Asian Games are having at the link, but it appears the fiasco will continue all the way through the closing ceremony:

Organizers of the Incheon Asian Games face a daunting challenge ― bringing Asia’s biggest sporting event to a close in a way that makes people forget the opening ceremony many believe was the worst ever.

“We have noted the criticism we received after the opening ceremony and applied it to the direction of the closing ceremony,” Jang Jin, artistic director of the ceremony, said during a news conference at the Main Press Center in Incheon, Tuesday.

But he seems to have few options available due to his limited budget and other problems.

Jang said because of the athletic events at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium that will run until the end of the Games, “We will not be able to push through with the final rehearsal that had been scheduled for Friday. We ask for your understanding.”

According to Jang and chief organizer Im Kwon-taek, the closing ceremony will include performances by the National Dance Company of Korea and the National Gugak Center, a countdown using filmed shots of athletes’ shirt numbers and AD cards, a taekwondo performance and a concert by boy band Big Bang.

But most people remain unconvinced that the closing ceremony will be an improvement from the opening ceremony, which was likened by the public and foreign media to a hallyu (Korean wave) concert or film festival, featuring more celebrities than sports stars.  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but according to the article the opening ceremony had famed Korean actress Lee Young-ae light the cauldron which is really odd considering usually famous athletes usually light it.  Now for those who attend the closing ceremony they will be subject to a Big Bang concert.

The Incheon Asian Games cost only $2 billion to put on compared to $20 billion the Chinese paid in 2010 to host them in Guangzou.  So obviously the Koreans are getting what they paid for.  I would think for the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics that the Koreans will be reaching much deeper into their pockets to put on a better event since the whole world will be watching.

This is probably the first time I have heard of Koreans unhappy with one of its national teams winning a gold medal:

The South Korean baseball team Sunday clinched the gold at the Incheon Asian Games, but a lot of people here seem to have more reasons to mock their achievement than celebrate or be proud of it.

They think players will enjoy greater benefits than they deserve — exemption from the country’s mandatory two years of military service. Ironically, their gold has also led to fierce discussion about abolishing such rewards to athletes.

“I wish they lost the game,” 29-year-old baseball fan Park Tae-yang said. “I do not understand why Korea, in the 21st century, still has to give military exemption for athletes on the grounds that they help promote the country.”

Such harsh feelings against the national team are also based on the fact that South Korea is the only country that sent professional baseball players, who appeared desperate for a military exemption, and let them compete against teams consisting mostly of amateur players.  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but it does seem kind unfair to all the other males in Korea that they have to do their mandatory service obligation while these professional athletes now will get out of it because they blew out a bunch of Asian amateur baseball teams.

The South Koreans have unwittingly been dragged into this whole Muslim discrimination issue due to hosting the Asian Games and having to enforce the ban on headscarves during basketball competitions:

The motto of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, is “Diversity Shines Here,” but basketball’s governing body is not bending any rules to live up to the creed.

Prior to their first game on Wednesday, members of the Qatari women’s basketball team were told they had to remove their white headscarves, which they wear in observance of their Islamic faith, because International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules do not allow “headgear, hair accessories, and jewelry.”

The women chose to forfeit the game instead. On Thursday, they officially withdrew from the tournament prior to their second scheduled game. The competition is the world’s second-largest multi-sport competion, with about 9,500 athletes representing 45 countries.  [Yahoo Sports]

You can read more at the link, but FIBA says the headscarves are unsafe to wear during competition which I am not sure what the safety issue is?  Maybe some getting their fingers caught in the scarf during play and injuring themselves?

Can’t people just keep their hands to themselves?

Two Palestine football players have been booked for investigation on suspicion of sexually harassing a female official at the Asian Games in South Korea, police said Wednesday.

The footballers, whose names were withheld, were suspected of approaching and groping the South Korean woman on Monday in a laundry room in the athletes’ village in Incheon, the host city of this year’s Asiad, they said.  [Yonhap]

The Korea Herald is also reporting that a Iranian athlete is accused of groping another Korean women as well:

The Palestinian incident is the second such case at the Asian Games, after an equipment manager for the Iranian men’s football team  was charged with sexually harassing a female volunteer at a stadium on Monday. [Korea Herald]

I wonder if the mayor of Incheon will issue a proclamation that citizens of Incheon are scared of Middle Eastern athletes like the mayor Uijongbu recently did towards American soldiers?

I wonder if they also complained about the display of the Chinese flag who is also responsible for the deaths of many Koreans during the Korean War and the key enabler of North Korea?:

Organizers of the upcoming Asian Games in Incheon pulled down all national flags that lined the streets of the port city after rightwing groups complained about the public display of the North Korean flag.

The flags of the 45 participating nations were hoisted along the streets of Incheon and the city of Goyang north of Seoul last week.

Under Olympic Council of Asia regulations, the flags of the council, host nation and participating countries are displayed around sports stadiums, accommodation and airports.

The North Korean flag was also hoisted during the 2002 Asian Games in Busan and Daegu Universiade in 2003.

But this time rightwing groups in Goyang protested, and the organizers took the drastic step of removing all national flags and replacing them with the OCA flag and Asian Games banner.  [Chosun Ilbo]