Asian Games: Athletes Told To Find Own Accommodation As Numbers Exceed Capacity

Organisers of next month’s Asian Games in Japan have told athletes and officials outside the approved quota to arrange their own accommodation after the projected number of participants exceeded available capacity and the event’s budget.

The Games are scheduled to take place from 19 September to 4 October across Nagoya and the Aichi region, with organisers initially planning for about 15,000 athletes and officials.

However, the Olympic Council of Asia confirmed last week that the number of participants is expected to rise to about 17,000 following the addition of teqball and padel to the Games programme earlier this year.

The increase has created a significant accommodation challenge for the organisers, who say they do not have sufficient funds or resources to cater for the additional 2,000 participants.

Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa, acting chairman of the local organising committee, said accommodating the larger number would be difficult because the Games were being staged under a strict budget.

Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura, who chairs the organising committee, said the host city agreement limits the size of participating delegations to 15,000 people.

He added that the organising committee had neither the manpower nor financial reserves to accommodate the additional participants.

“There is simply nowhere for them to stay,” Omura said. “If they still wish to come, they will have to make their own arrangements.”

The Asian Games do not have a permanent athletes’ village similar to that used at the Olympic Games, forcing organisers to rely on a combination of temporary accommodation and hotels.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 competitors are expected to stay aboard the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena, which will be docked in the area for the duration of the Games.

A further 2,000 athletes will be accommodated in temporary, shipping-container-style housing.

Participants covered by the original 15,000-person quota will be accommodated in hotels in Tokyo, where swimming, diving and equestrian events are scheduled to take place.

The accommodation dispute comes just weeks before the opening ceremony and has raised concerns over the impact of the increased participation on the hosts’ logistical preparations.

The Nagoya-Aichi Asian Games will bring together athletes from across Asia and are scheduled to feature a wide range of sports, with organisers now facing the challenge of managing the expanded field without exceeding the event’s financial and logistical limits.