Asian Games stumble before opening with leaks, lost buses

NAGOYA, Japan - A representative of a sports federation moving into the cruise ship athletes' village at Kinjo Pier near Nagoya Port on Wednesday expressed disappointment, stating, "This is my first international competition like this." While the accommodations on the cruise ship are in better condition than those at the container-based village at Garden Pier, athletes on the ship will be confined to living aboard for the duration of the Games, despite poor access to competition venues.

On the same day, athletes residing in the container village were forced to navigate through pouring rain to reach shuttle buses for transportation. "Once you step outside the containers, there is nowhere to escape either the rain or the sun," another sports official lamented. The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Asia's largest sporting event, are scheduled to open on Saturday, but the Games are already beset by significant operational issues.

The organizing committee's unconventional choice to not build a dedicated athletes' village, citing cost savings and environmental concerns, has proven to be problematic.