Eight Indian athletes face visa delays for 2026 Asian Games

A cruise ship, the Costa Serena, arrived in Japan on Tuesday to accommodate thousands of athletes and officials at the upcoming Asian Games in Nagoya, set to run until October 4. Complaints regarding the accommodation arrangements have been escalating. The colossal ship, almost 300 meters long, weighs over 100,000 tonnes and houses 1,500 cabins, providing lodging for around 4,000 athletes and officials.

More than 17,000 athletes and officials are anticipated to participate in the Games, surpassing the number of participants in the Olympics. To manage costs, participants will also reside in wooden container-style huts and standard hotel rooms. South Korean officials have criticized the container huts as the "worst ever" and expressed that the concerns were voiced by every team present at the Games.

Hideaki Omura, the president of the local organizing committee, remarked that the temporary accommodation could serve as a model for financially sustainable sporting events. This marks the first time Japan is utilizing a cruise ship as accommodation for a major international sporting event. Cruise ships have been used before for such purposes but never on this scale.

Jung Jae-yong, the vice president of the Korea Basketball Association, expressed deep dissatisfaction with the bed sizes provided for his team's accommodations, with a player even posting a video of a leaking sink and a soaked floor in his hut. The South Korean Olympic committee official highlighted the severe shortage of rooms and noted that they were not the only ones facing accommodation issues.

Concerns over the accommodations have been shared by all representatives of the 45 nations participating in the Games, according to a South Korean Sports and Olympic Committee official. Every country involved is now collaborating to address the issue. A Taiwanese sports official reported a general shortage of beds. While all Philippine athletes have been allocated rooms, coaches have been placed in different hotels and Airbnbs.

Organizers are optimistic that the situation will improve, despite the Games occurring during Japan's typhoon season. The Costa Serena was chartered at a cost of approximately 4.5 billion yen (US$28 million). The ship's captain, Federico Sias, expressed his hope that the athletes would have a comfortable, safe, and memorable stay, stating that the vessel has transformed into "a home where athletes and guests from across Asia can come together in the spirit of friendship, mutual respect, and unity."