(Photo courtesy of PNA)
NAGOYA, Japan – Organizers of the ongoing Asian Para Games apologized after incorrect national anthems were played on three separate occasions during sporting events on Monday.
Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa, acting head of the Games’ organizing committee, confirmed the incidents Wednesday, citing technical errors in the music playback system.
During the para taekwondo medal ceremonies, the Iranian national anthem was mistakenly played for gold medalists from Mongolia and Taiwan in the women’s and men’s events, respectively.
Organizers immediately stopped the incorrect anthem during the women’s ceremony and replaced it with Mongolia’s national anthem.
The men’s medal ceremony, meanwhile, was scheduled to be held again Wednesday to correct the mistake.
According to the organizing committee, the errors were caused by incorrect settings in the music playback software.
A similar incident occurred in sitting volleyball when South Korea’s national anthem was played instead of China’s before a women’s match between China and Iran.
The music was stopped midway and replaced with the correct Chinese national anthem.
The incidents followed another anthem mix-up during the Asian Games in September, when North Korea’s national anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea’s before a men’s hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh on September 18.
“We are sorry that such issues happened again,” Hirosawa said, apologizing for the repeated errors.
The Asian Para Games are being held across several venues in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, including Nagoya.
