Games-Pakistan volleyball captain criticises organisers after venue mix-up

Complaints of logistical ​mismanagement continued to mount at ​the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on ‌Monday, with ​Pakistan volleyball captain Murad Jehan saying his team were taken to the wrong venue ahead of their ‌Pool A match against Uzbekistan.

A glum-looking Jehan took to Instagram to vent his frustration at what he termed "another mismanagement" at the Games. "We have a very important match and ‌the bus driver doesn't know which gymnasium we are going to play," he ‌said in a video from the bus.

"He took a wrong way and came to a wrong gymnasium and now we are short of time. It's an embarrassing situation," he added. "We did ⁠not expect ​this from Japan. ⁠This should not have happened." Games organisers did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Jehan ⁠said the detour left the squad with no time for a proper warm-up, forcing players ​to change into their playing kit on the moving bus. "Really disappointing situation. ⁠This is not the only mismanagement that athletes are facing here," he said, adding food was not ⁠always ​available to athletes at dining areas following their training sessions.

Pakistan brushed off the disruption once they reached the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium, cruising to ⁠their second successive victory with a 3-0 win over Uzbekistan. On Saturday, the Games' ⁠chief organiser apologised ⁠for widespread logistical glitches, explaining that a late influx of approximately 2,000 additional athletes and team officials had overwhelmed operational planning.