'Couldn't even throw a single ball, packed our bags': Absurd disqualification of Chinese women's cricket team due to 'field conditions' prompts apologies from Japanese netizens... "I am too ashamed to bear it" [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Chinese women's cricket national team, returning to the Asian Games after a 12-year wait, packed their bags without throwing a single ball. While unjust circumstances sparked criticism on Chinese social media platforms against the host's immature tournament management, the Chinese women's cricket team ultimately accepted the result.

According to Chinese media Sina.com on the 17th, the Chinese cricket national team accepted the outcome without formally protesting to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee or the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

China was scheduled to play a women's cricket quarterfinal against Bangladesh at Korogi Sports Park in Nishin City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan on the 17th. However, prior rainfall left water standing in the outfield, leading organizers to determine the field was unsafe for play. The match was canceled before even a toss could occur. The organizing committee stated, "We judged that conducting the match was difficult due to poor ground conditions," and decided to refund tickets for spectators of the affected game.

The issue lay in cricket's tournament regulations. Under rule 16.10.2(b) of the competition rules, knockout matches unable to be decided due to rain or other factors advance the team with the higher world ranking.

Bangladesh, ranked 10th globally, automatically advanced to the semifinals ahead of China, which was ranked 42nd. China was eliminated without ever throwing a ball or batting in an official match.

Drew Win Alister, head coach of the Chinese cricket national team, expressed, "While I am grateful for the dedication of the ground staff, it is also true that we are deeply disappointed. The whole world hoped to witness our Chinese Yeo Ja (CEO) team making its debut on a major international stage. However, considering the weather and various challenges here over the past week, we knew from the start that playing this match would be extremely difficult."

The Chinese team accepted the result partly because this regulation was not newly created for this tournament. It had already been applied in previous tournaments, including when rain-cancelled knockout matches occurred at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

When this news spread via People's China's official Japanese-language social media account, even Japanese citizens expressed regret. One Japanese netizen stated, "Although it was due to weather, I feel deeply sorry that such a result occurred in a tournament hosted by Japan. I am too ashamed to bear it."

What is particularly regrettable is the time China waited for this stage. The Chinese Yeo Ja (CEO) team's Asian Games participation came 12 years after their last appearance at the 2014 Incheon Games. They secured their final qualification spot after going through qualifiers in May and prepared for the tournament by competing in international events held in China during August.

Cricket has been selected as an official Olympic sport for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, strengthening its presence even in Asia. For the Chinese women's cricket team, which finally stepped onto the international stage after such difficulty, the ending was particularly cruel. After a 12-year wait, they arrived at the Asian Games with only one official record: "eliminated in the quarterfinals." Yet, throughout this process, Chinese players never competed in a single actual match.

After accepting their elimination without playing even one game, captain Zhu Ming-wei (27) was seen shedding tears. Another Chinese media outlet, Xinhua News Agency, reported that Zhu cried beside the field after being notified of the result. Zhu stated, "It is truly regrettable that we couldn't play a match, but this is also part of growth. Since anything can happen during a game, there is no choice but to accept it." She added, "We will return home and train even harder."

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, which advanced to the semifinals in place of China, will face India in the semi-finals on the 20th.

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*This content was translated by AI.