At the recently held Nagoya ASAR Games, a series of three consecutive misplays of national anthems and anthems occurred in a single day, including incorrectly broadcasting South Korea's national anthem as China's at a China vs. Iran match. These errors shocked participants and spectators. The staff apologized afterward and stated they are investigating whether the dual-check process is properly implemented.
Scene of the Incident
Specifically, these issues occurred on October 19. During a sitting volleyball match between China and Iran, the staff mistakenly played South Korea's national anthem as China's before the match. The Chinese athletes and spectators were greatly surprised and immediately raised objections. The staff paused the broadcast after about 5 seconds and correctly played China's national anthem.
Background and Interpretation
Factually, the Nagoya ASAR Games have experienced misplays of national anthems in the past. For example, in a men's field hockey match on September 18, South Korea vs. Bangladesh, North Korea's national anthem played before the match. On that night, the two high-ranking officials of the organizing committee personally apologized to the South Korea delegation. Before the ASAR Games' opening, the organizing committee stated they would learn from past experiences.