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

NAGOYA — Concerns are mounting over a shortage of accommodations for the approaching Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, just four days prior to the opening ceremony, according to a sports official. To adhere to their cost-saving and environmentally-conscious policies, game organizers have not constructed a dedicated athletes' village for this year's event.

Instead, they have provided lodging options on a cruise ship, in temporary container units, and in hotels for around 15,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries. The quadrennial multi-sport competition will commence on Saturday, with certain sports, including football and basketball, already in progress.

The accommodation arrangement entails approximately 9,000 athletes residing in hotels, 4,000 aboard the cruise ship, and 2,000 in a cluster of wooden container units. However, athletes have expressed grievances regarding room inadequacies, especially within the container village. For instance, if the games organizers had assured 100 container rooms to a particular Olympic committee, they are currently lacking around 20 rooms. This shortfall was reported by an official from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.