Thai Sepak Takraw Team Denied Nagoya Accommodation
Thailand's sepak takraw team couldn't check into their assigned cruise ship accommodation in Nagoya after arriving for the 2026 Asian Games, with players forced to sleep in the lobby after organizers failed to submit their documentation to
Drama struck the 2026 Asian Games before competition even began, after the Thai national sepak takraw team departed Suvarnabhumi Airport for Nagoya in the early hours of September 15. The athletes were scheduled to stay aboard the Costa Serena cruise ship at Nagoya Port, as the hosts had arranged. However, by the evening of September 16 around 10:30 pm, after a lengthy journey, the sepak takraw players still had not been able to check in. Officials said they could not find the athletes' names in the accommodation system. Player Kaewjai Pumswanggaew posted images of her exhausted teammates sleeping on the lobby floor aboard the ship. Chalitrat Chantrubegsadej, deputy secretary-general of the Thai Olympic Committee and deputy head of the Thai delegation to the 2026 Asian Games, stated the problem stemmed from a mistake by the Japanese event organizers, who forgot to submit the sepak takraw team's documentation to the accommodation system, causing all their records to disappear. As an interim measure, the team was arranged to share rooms with athletes from other delegations, and steps are being taken to resolve the issue quickly. More athletes are expected to arrive in subsequent waves.
