Asian Games Organisers Struggle With Accommodation As Over 17,000 Arrive In Japan

More than 17,000 athletes and officials are expected to attend the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya and across Japan’s Aichi prefecture, putting further pressure on organisers already struggling with accommodation.

The Games, which run until October 4, have attracted more participants than initially anticipated, with organisers originally planning for about 15,000 people.

To reduce costs, organisers opted for temporary accommodation, including a cruise ship, wooden container-style rooms and hotel facilities.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 athletes and officials are expected to stay aboard the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena, which normally accommodates guests in 571 cabins and features seven swimming pools, eight restaurants and nine bars.

Although cruise ships have previously been used to house athletes at major sporting events, the scale of their use at this year’s Games is unprecedented.

However, the unconventional accommodation arrangements have raised concerns among participating countries. India reportedly built replica container rooms to prepare its athletes for their stay.

South Korean sports officials on Monday described the container-style facilities as the “worst” accommodation they had encountered at the Games, citing the short length of the beds.

A Korean Olympic committee official also told AFP that there was a “serious shortage of accommodation” just days before the Games begin.

Organisers have described the 20th edition of the Games, first held in 1951, as set to be “the most spectacular for generations.”