Bus Mix-Up Costs South Korea a Volleyball Practice at Asian Games
South Korea’s national volleyball team had its training session canceled on Tuesday after Asian Games organizers put the squad on a bus heading in the wrong direction, the latest in a string of transport problems at the tournament. The organizing committee issued a formal apology, saying a staff error sent the South Korean and Pakistani men’s volleyball teams to each other’s destinations.
“Due to a mistake by our staff, the buses for the South Korean and Pakistani national volleyball teams were wrongly arranged in opposite directions,” the committee said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.” Because of the mix-up, South Korea scrapped its scheduled morning practice, while Pakistan’s match started 30 minutes late.
The incident was not isolated. Organizers have already faced complaints from other delegations about transport during the Games, including reported problems involving the South Korean men’s basketball team and other squads. For athletes on tight competition schedules, a lost training session or a delayed start can disrupt preparation and recovery, making logistics as important as the venue itself.
Volleyball is one of the marquee team events at the Asian Games, drawing packed crowds and national attention across the region. South Korea’s men’s team is a traditional contender, and every practice session matters in a tournament where pool play can turn on a single set. Pakistan, meanwhile, arrived expecting a normal match day and instead waited an extra half hour for the first serve.
Athletes and coaches generally accept that large multi-sport events involve complex moving parts. Thousands of competitors, officials and volunteers must be shuttled between hotels, training halls and stadiums, often across a sprawling host city with traffic to match. When the system works, nobody notices. When it fails, a bus going the wrong way becomes a headline.
The organizing committee said it would review procedures to prevent similar errors. Such promises are standard after logistics failures, but the pressure is real: delegations compare notes, and a reputation for smooth operations is part of what hosts sell to future event bidders. For now, both teams are expected to return to their normal schedules.
For fans, the story is a reminder that the unseen work behind a major Games — buses, schedules, signage, language support — shapes results as much as training does. South Korea will try to put the lost session behind it, while Pakistan will hope the delayed start has no lingering effect. Both will be watching the bus schedule as closely as the scoreboard.
The episode also highlights how quickly small operational slips can overshadow athletic achievement at a mega-event. With competition continuing across dozens of venues, organizers will be eager to show that Tuesday’s wrong turn was an exception rather than a pattern.