Badminton commentator Gill Clark has criticised the scheduling of badminton matches at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after players were forced to compete late into the night before returning to the court the following morning. Clark questioned the organisers’ planning, highlighting how inadequate recovery time could have affected players competing at one of Asia’s biggest sporting events.
India’s PV Sindhu and Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, were among those caught up in the demanding schedule. Both Sindhu and Christie lost their respective quarter-final matches after playing late-night matches the previous day. Clark argued that the turnaround between matches left players with little opportunity to rest, recover and prepare adequately for the knockout rounds.
PV Sindhu played three singles matches in less than 24 hours, leaving her with minimal time to rest and recover before her quarterfinal exit.
“The badminton schedule required players to play 2 matches in one day, with play finishing at 2am with literally no spectators present. Media obligations, warm downs, a 1-hour drive back to the hotel, and the need to eat, meant the 2 latest to finish, Sindhu and Christie, probably didn’t get to sleep before 4am. The quarterfinals then started at 9.30am that same morning!” Clark wrote.
“Both lost their QF matches. Christie lost for the first time in 11 meetings to Loh Kean Yew who finished his previous match at 6.20pm, almost 8 hours before Christie finished at 2am,” he added.
Sindhu herself expressed frustration over the schedule, saying on social media: “Three matches in 18 hours. Back at 3am, out again at 8:30am. It took a toll.”
The criticism came amid wider concerns about the organisation of the Games, with athletes and teams across several sports reporting logistical difficulties and disruptions. India’s HS Prannoy also described the badminton scheduling as cruel, raising concerns about recovery, travel and accommodation.
FOOTBALL, CRICKET AND VOLLEYBALL ALSO AFFECTED
The scheduling controversy was part of a broader pattern of organisational problems at the Asian Games. Clark pointed to incidents involving football, cricket and volleyball, arguing that the difficulties extended beyond badminton and affected athletes across different disciplines.
“At the recent Asian Games in Nagoya there were instances of football and volleyball teams arriving late for matches after being taken to the wrong venues. And some outdoor sports had no contingency plans for re-scheduling due to bad weather. 2 cricket QF were therefore decided by the teams’ world rankings rather than by an actual match,” Clark added.
Pakistan’s volleyball team was taken to the wrong gymnasium before its match against Uzbekistan, forcing players to change into their kits on the bus and leaving them with insufficient time to warm up. Football teams also encountered transport problems, including an incident in which a team bus was taken to the wrong venue.
Cricket was hit by persistent rain, with the men’s quarter-finals between India and Afghanistan and Pakistan and Hong Kong abandoned. India and Pakistan progressed to the semi-finals on the basis of their superior world rankings, rather than through results on the field.
The incidents raised questions about athlete welfare and the planning of a major multi-sport event. While the Asian Games featured memorable performances across disciplines, the complaints over scheduling, transport and weather contingencies cast a shadow over the competition.
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