Thailand Teqball Association apologizes to Japan after meal controversy

The President of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games Organizing Committee (AINAGOC), Hideaki Omura, issued a harsh rebuke toward the Thai Teqball team following a social media controversy regarding meal portions.

The dispute began in mid-September when a video from the Thailand Teqball Inside Facebook page showed a coach complaining that meal portions were insufficient, claiming they were often left with only rice and vegetables. While the video drew international attention to logistics concerns, AINAGOC clarified that the meals shown were not provided by the organizing committee.

Because Teqball was added to the program late at the request of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the responsibility for its specific logistics rested with the sport's representatives rather than the Japanese hosts. Omura criticized the video as an attempt to “seek views” and stated, “I wish people like that would not come to Japan anymore.”

In response to the backlash, Piyapat Jarunpong, President of the Thailand Teqball Association, issued an apology on October 8. She stated that the association, coaching staff, and athletes apologized for the unintentional discomfort caused by the video.