Nagoya Asian Games organisers come out fighting, blame teams for cruise ship ‘confusion’

On September 22, organizers of the Asian Games in Nagoya defended themselves against accusations of mishandling the boarding process of a cruise ship that housed thousands of athletes. The ship, the Costa Serena, was used as a temporary accommodation due to the lack of an athletes' village, a cost-saving measure. The ship accommodated over 4,000 athletes and officials in Nagoya's port.

AINAGOC, the local organizing committee, acknowledged that some delegations had expressed confusion on social media about their boarding process on September 16. However, they clarified that this confusion was not due to AINAGOC's failure to submit accommodation information to the accommodation system. Instead, the primary reason for boarding delays and confusion was the need to resolve incomplete documentation submitted by some delegations.

AINAGOC also stated that they were aware of negative comments on social media regarding the quality of food and drinks at one competition venue. They assured that these items were not provided by them. The organizers are currently working with Costa Cruises and another outsourcing company to address the situation appropriately.