Nagoya Asian Games gold medalists and sports officials are confronting quality control concerns after multiple athletes reported peeling surfaces, discoloration, and physical wear on their medals just days after the continental multi-sport competition concluded in Japan.
Osaka Mint Manufactured Seven Thousand Medals
Approximately 7,000 medals for the Nagoya Asian Games were produced by the Japan Mint in Osaka, an institution established in 1871 that has minted official coinage and national honors for over a century. According to official tournament protocols, the manufacturing process required a complete factory inspection by the Mint, followed by a secondary inventory check by the Games organizing committee to screen for scratches or surface blemishes before distribution to medalists.
Karate Champion Li Qiaoqiao Reports Surface Wear
The issue first surfaced publicly on social media when Chinese karate athlete Li Qiaoqiao reported that her gold medal showed surface abrasion. Li successfully defended her title in the women’s kumite 68kg division at the Nagoya Asian Games. After noticing initial wear marks during the award ceremonies, she returned home where relatives and friends requested to touch the medal, causing the abrasion area to expand and prompting her to seal the award in a protective plastic film. Li stated that teammates also observed similar wear on the reverse sides of their medals, indicating a manufacturing-level durability issue rather than isolated handling damage.
organizers Confirm Multiple Replacement Requests
Organizers initially addressed a separate reported defect on September 25, when an esports gold medalist identified distinct color discrepancies along the edge of their medal. Tournament officials dispatched staff that evening with a replacement medal, initially asserting it was an isolated incident. That claim was challenged two days later when South Korean skateboarder Gangg Jun-yi publicly displayed scratches on her medal during a press conference alongside three other South Korean athletes who filed formal replacement applications. The Korea e-Sports Association subsequently confirmed that multiple South Korean esports gold medalists experienced irregular white flaking on their medal surfaces, bringing the confirmed count of athletes seeking replacements to at least five competitors across the Chinese and South Korean delegations.
Historical Precedent in Major International Games
Medal degradation issues are not exclusive to the Nagoya Asian Games. Following the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Chinese trampolining champion Zhu Xue莹 reported that the surface coating on her gold medal peeled off. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, more than 100 athletes reported fading and surface damage, leading the Paris Mint to process 220 replacement requests and apply protective lacquer to newly issued medals.
Squash Collision and Judo Match Protests
On-field competition rules also generated friction between delegations. During a September 28 men’s team squash group match between Hong Kong, China and Japan, Japanese player Kojun Endo collided with Hong Kong player Leung Chi Hin during a high-speed movement sequence. Play was temporarily suspended, and the referee ruled the exchange a let. Hong Kong media reported subsequent physical contact during the match, which Hong Kong, China ultimately won 2–1. In the judo arena, the South Korean delegation filed protests following a 4–2 loss to Uzbekistan in the mixed team bronze medal match, where athlete Mimi Huh received a critical score against her in overtime, concluding a tournament in which the South Korean judo team secured one gold, three silver, and four bronze medals.
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