"The meals are too inadequate." Korean beauty sprinter scolds organizers; Japanese media sighs over AG's poor management

*This content was translated by AI.

Although the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games have reached their midpoint, concerns about immature event management continue to be raised consistently.

On the 25th, Japanese sports media Ronspo reported, "A Korean female 100m sprinter voiced complaints about the Asian Games meals."

This refers to Kim Ju-ha (25, Siheng City Hall), known as a Korean beauty sprinter, who pointed out the disappointing event management that has not changed significantly, citing her interview with domestic media.

Kim competed in the women's 100m preliminary heat 4 at the Nagoya Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium on the 24th. Starting from lane 7, Kim accelerated in the latter half and engaged in a tight race with the leading group before crossing the finish line in third place. She improved her personal best time of 11.76 seconds recorded last June by 0.03 seconds, securing her spot in the semifinals with a time of 11.73 seconds.

After the competition, during an interview in the mixed zone, Kim delivered pointed remarks. In particular, she was highlighted for explicitly stating that the meal situation is "too inadequate," addressing the issue that has been criticized countless times before.

She expressed concern that the poor quality of meals at her accommodation might affect her race performance. The media noted, "While she did not specify exactly what was inadequate or how it fell short, she voiced complaints about the meals provided by the hotel. Moreover, since this issue reached a level that could impact athletic performance, it is a problem that cannot be overlooked."

Complaints from national teams regarding meals have persisted throughout this event. The media introduced an incident where the head coach of Thailand's techball national team posted images on social networking services (SNS) of the cafeteria, complaining, "They gave us very little food. You can only choose one vegetable, and even if you want to eat two, it is not allowed."

Kim also cited fatigue related to transportation as a concern. The long travel distances are among the athletes' complaints. In some cases, schedules have been disrupted because proper transportation was not provided.

Regarding these issues, the organizing committee acknowledges them fully. However, the committee countered, "We are aware that some national teams have posted critical comments on SNS regarding the quality of food and beverages served at the techball stadium. However, those food and beverages were not provided by the organizing committee. The organizing committee has established a meal provision system for each accommodation facility, considering competition events, schedules, and training. At the same time, we are cooperating with relevant operators to address individual requests received from each National Olympic Committee (NOC), including food allergies and religious or cultural dietary restrictions."

Furthermore, the committee stated, "The organizing committee is seriously listening to the athletes' voices and, in cooperation with relevant operators and institutional investors, will steadily operate the already established accommodation and food-beverage service systems while implementing necessary improvements to ensure that all athletes can participate in the games with peace of mind."

However, the media remarked, "Judging from Kim's remarks, it appears there has been no significant change in the situation. Issues related to athlete transportation have been pointed out since before. In addition to the problem of long distances between accommodations and venues causing delays, there were also bus scheduling errors. For example, in men's basketball, the Korean national team that won the championship had to cancel their final training session before the final against Japan because the bus they were supposed to take arrived without any prior notice."

Ronspo also expressed doubt about the organizing committee's future response. The media reported, "There are nine days left until the end of the games. It remains uncertain how much further the stage can be prepared for athletes to perform at their best."

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*This content was translated by AI.