The Asian Para Games in Nagoya have had several anthem mistakes. Reading this shows how even big events can miss simple details.

Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa said he is sorry for the latest mistake. He apologized even though officials promised to stop such errors.

During a men’s and a women’s para‑taekwondo ceremony, the Iranian anthem was played. The full anthem played once, and it stopped when a Mongolian gold‑medalist told officials it was wrong. After that, the organizers played the Mongolian anthem that the delegation gave them.

In another case, officials played the South Korean anthem for about five seconds before a sitting‑volleyball match between China and Iran. They should have played the Chinese anthem. The Asian Games earlier played North Korea’s anthem for the South Korean hockey team on Sept. 18, which also caused criticism.