India, Sept. 18 -- The Asian Games 2026 in Japan have been riddled with controversies and major administrative and logistical blunders even before the tournament began. In fact, during the pool stage men's hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh, there was a major goof-up at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. As the teams lined up for the traditional pre-match ceremonies, organizers mistakenly played the national anthem of North Korea instead of South Korea's. The South Korean players standing on the pitch were visibly baffled and shocked by the error.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the stadium announcer quickly stepped in to halt the major embarrassment. The announcer issued a direct apology over the stadium's public addre...