Aichi Governor Hideaki Ohmura has denied stating that he did not want Thai athletes to participate in the 2026 Asian Games, clarifying that his critical remarks were aimed at the manager and coach of the Thai teqball team. Ohmura’s statements, made at a press conference on October 6, drew significant attention in Thailand after he commented on a video where the Thai teqball team’s coach and manager expressed dissatisfaction with the limited food options and small portion sizes near their competition venue. Reports from various Thai and Japanese news outlets indicated that the governor viewed the food complaint as excessive and accused the Thai teqball team of seeking online attention. He was also quoted as saying he did not want individuals like them to visit Japan, a comment that subsequently sparked criticism on Thai social media.
Ohmura later took to his X account to address the controversy, asserting that some media reports had misrepresented his statements. He emphasized that his criticism was not directed at Thai athletes in general, nor did he intend to express a desire for Thai athletes to be absent from the Asian Games. Instead, his comments were specifically targeted at the team’s coach and management. In his X post, Ohmura quoted his original remarks: “Regarding the lunch situation near the teqball venue, where they complained that ‘this is the only food available’, I thought it was a bit appalling; it was simply too much. I wondered what the Thai team’s manager and coach had actually come here for. I felt as though they had come merely to rack up views. I really wish people like that hadn’t come.”
The governor explained that at the time of his statement, he felt he did not want such individuals to attend. He further noted that the issue fell outside the organizing committee’s purview and therefore could not be resolved by them. Ohmura reiterated that he had not stated he did not want the Thai team to attend the Asian Games and had formally protested to media outlets he believed had inaccurately reported his remarks, requesting corrections.
Despite Ohmura’s clarification, criticism persisted in Thailand. Some social media users accused the governor of evading responsibility for his words, while others deemed the remarks disrespectful irrespective of his intended meaning. Certain users called for a sincere apology from the governor rather than an explanation of his comments. Teqball was introduced to the Asian Games program in February following a request from the Olympic Council of Asia. Under this arrangement, the organizing committee was not responsible for the sport’s operations or expenses, with matters such as accommodation and meals being handled by the sport’s governing body. Notwithstanding the controversy, Thailand entered three of the five teqball medal events at the Games and secured gold in all of them.