Officials raise concerns over accommodation shortages ahead of Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

NAGOYA - Concerns are mounting over accommodation shortages just four days before the opening of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, a sports official reported on Tuesday. In a bid to reduce costs and embrace environmentally friendly practices, organizers have opted against constructing a dedicated athletes' village for the 2023 Asian Games.

Instead, they have resorted to utilizing accommodations on a cruise ship, temporary container units, and hotels for approximately 15,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries. The quadrennial multisport event is set to kick off on Saturday, with several sports, including football and basketball, already underway. According to the accommodation plan, around 9,000 athletes will be residing in hotels, while 4,000 will be accommodated on the cruise ship and 2,000 in a cluster of wooden container units.

However, athletes have expressed dissatisfaction, particularly regarding the room shortage in the container village. An official from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee stated that when organizers had committed to providing 100 container rooms to a particular Olympic committee, they fell short by approximately 20 rooms.