Taiwan's sports minister briefly barred from Asian Games ceremony; Cabinet calls for fair competition
Taiwan's Sports Minister Lee Yang was briefly blocked from entering the athletes' village at the Nagoya Asian Games, a setback for Taiwan's standing at the event that was reversed only after an hour of protests.
- The Olympic Council of Asia told Taiwan's delegation that Lee could not attend the village flag-raising ceremony, even though he had completed the required application and held a valid credential.
- Taiwan's delegation and its Olympic committee pushed back hard, and the ceremony went ahead with Lee inside after a delay of an hour and a half.
- Premier Cho Jung-tai called Lee and Taiwan's Olympic chief right away, calling the block unreasonable pressure and pledging full government support for the team.
- The Cabinet says the Asian Games should be a fair, normal competitive environment where all athletes get support and can focus on competing.
Outlook: Taipei wants assurances that the delegation faces no further interference during the Games, so watch for more friction with the OCA over Taiwan's status.