Aichi governor says he did not want Thai Asian Games team to come after food complaint
In short
Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura said at a press conference on Oct 6 that he “did not want” the Thai team members who complained about food at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to have come. The complaint came from the Thai teqball team, whose staff posted on social media in mid-September about small food portions at the venue, according to Thai media. Thai outlets and social media users criticised the governor's remark, and the Bangkok Post reported it was met with surprise because Omura had earlier apologised for problems in running the Games.
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Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura said at a press conference on Oct 6 that he “did not want” the Thai team members who complained about food at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to come. Referring to the social media post, Omura said, “I wondered what they came here for. I thought they came to rack up views,” and added that he did not want such people to come, according to reports by Mainichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun and the wire copy carried by Livedoor News. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
According to Thai media cited in the reports, the coach of the Thai teqball team posted a video on Facebook in mid-September saying the amount of food provided at the venue was small. Mainichi Shimbun describes the poster as a person connected to the Thai team. Teqball was added at the request of the Olympic Council of Asia, and arrangements such as lodging and meals were handled by the sport's federation rather than the organizing committee, Mainichi Shimbun reported, adding that the committee said on Sept 22 that the meals were not provided by it. Omura said the sport was arranged flexibly under difficult circumstances so that matches could be held. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Thai media picked up the remark and critical comments about the governor appeared on social media, according to the reports. The Bangkok Post reported that the remark was received with surprise because Omura had earlier apologised for shortcomings in the running of the Games, and comments in Thai media were critical of the statement. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games closed on Oct 4. Teqball was formally added as an official sport in February, on the condition that the organizing committee would not bear the operational work or costs, according to Mainichi Shimbun. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The remark by the head of the host prefecture, about a visiting national team, drew criticism in Thailand and in social media, making a complaint about venue catering into a question about how the Games' Japanese hosts treated participants. Thai media coverage and the Bangkok Post's report suggest the comment landed awkwardly after the governor had already apologised for organisational shortcomings. The documents give no indication of any official response from the Games organisers or from Thai authorities beyond media coverage and social media reaction.
Key facts
- Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura said at an Oct 6 press conference that he “did not want” the Thai team members who complained about food to come to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- According to Thai media, the Thai teqball team's coach posted a video on Facebook in mid-September saying the amount of food provided at the venue was small. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Omura said of the poster, “I wondered what they came here for. I thought they came to rack up views.” [ 3 , 4 ]
- Teqball was added as an official sport at the request of the Olympic Council of Asia, and the organizing committee did not handle lodging or meals, which were run by the sport's federation, Mainichi Shimbun reported. [ 1 ]
- The organizing committee said on Sept 22 that the meals were not provided by the committee, according to Mainichi Shimbun. [ 1 ]
- Thai media picked up the governor's remark and critical comments about him spread on social media. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The Bangkok Post reported that the remark was received with surprise because Omura had previously apologised for shortcomings in the running of the Games. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games closed on Oct 4. [ 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Governor Hideaki Omura said at an Oct 6 press conference that he did not want the Thai team members who complained about food to have come. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The Thai team expressed dissatisfaction on social media about the running of the Asian Games, including the food provided at the venue. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Teqball was added to the Games at the request of the Olympic Council of Asia, with arrangements such as lodging and meals handled by the sport's federation rather than the organizing committee. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Thai media covered the remark and critical comments about the governor appeared on social media. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Who posted the complaint: Mainichi Shimbun describes the poster as a person connected to the Thai team, while other reports say it was the team's coach. The documents differ on the person's role in the team.
- Whether the organizing committee was responsible for the meals served at the teqball venue. The committee's statement that it did not provide the meals is reported only by Mainichi Shimbun, a single source.
- The exact date of the Facebook post. Documents say only that it was posted in mid-September.
- Whether the Thai team raised complaints beyond the quantity of food. The documents mention only the food complaint.
- The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games closed on Oct 4. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The organizing committee states that the meals were not provided by the committee, according to Mainichi Shimbun. [ 1 ]
- The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games close on Oct 4. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura says at his regular press conference that he did not want the Thai team members who complained about food to come. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Mainichi Shimbun reports that the governor's remark caused ripples in Thailand, with critical comments on social media. [ 2 ]
- Reports recount Thai media coverage and criticism of the governor, and the Bangkok Post's report that the remark was met with surprise. [ 3 , 4 ]