Top Olympic official wants even bigger Asian Games

Husain Al-Musallam, the director general of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), expressed his desire for larger Asian Games, including the inclusion of an athletes' village, during the recent Asian Games in Japan. The Games, which took place from Saturday onwards, faced numerous challenges, such as a shortage of accommodation for over 17,000 athletes and officials, who were housed in hotels, temporary wooden huts, and a cruise ship to cut costs.

Al-Musallam acknowledged the need for a financially sustainable event and stressed the importance of listening to the host's perspective for the future of the Games. The lack of an athletes' village led to complaints from some teams about the quality of accommodation, with beds being too short. Despite this, Al-Musallam remains committed to increasing the number of participants in future Asian Games, emphasizing the need for sport in the current political crisis and conflicts worldwide.