Cockroaches Spotted in Stadium... Tokyo Olympics Hygiene Issues Again 'Under Scrutiny'

A cockroach appeared at the Tokyo Olympics hockey venue. Photo by TyC Sports broadcast screen capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has once again come under scrutiny for hygiene issues, following the 'sewage controversy' at the triathlon venue.

On the 28th, videos of cockroaches appearing at the Tokyo Oi Hockey Stadium were posted on social networking services (SNS) and online communities, sparking controversy. The video, broadcast by Argentine network TyC Sports, captured a cockroach wandering around the stadium during the women's hockey Group B match between Spain and Argentina.

The Argentine reporters calmly continued the broadcast despite the sudden camera shift, saying, "Ah, look, there’s a cockroach over there." When they said 'la cucaracha,' the Spanish word for cockroach, the cockroach even turned its head toward the camera.

The video quickly spread after a netizen edited the scene and shared it on Twitter. It surpassed 2.8 million views and received 1.32 million likes within a day. Netizens criticized the stadium's hygiene, commenting things like, "Why do we have to watch the cockroach’s backside?" and "I didn’t know the hockey game was being held in a bathroom."

Meanwhile, this is not the first time hygiene issues have arisen at the Tokyo Olympics. On the 26th, during the men's triathlon held at Odaiba Marine Park, athletes were shown vomiting on the ground after finishing the race.

At the time, some pointed to the water quality and foul odor at Odaiba Marine Park as the cause. Previously, in 2019, the marine park was criticized as being at a 'sewage water' level after E. coli levels were found to be more than twice the standard.

On the 14th, U.S. Bloomberg News reported, "As the Olympics opening approaches, a foul odor is pervasive at Tokyo’s outdoor swimming venues," adding, "Tokyo took bold measures to recover its tarnished image after the cancellation of the disabled triathlon event two years ago, but despite months of efforts, the foul smell still lingers."