Japan Olympic chief says 'lot more' athletes at Games than expected

Japan's Olympic chief Seiko Hashimoto revealed on Saturday that the Asian Games had seen far more athletes and officials than the host nation anticipated, resulting in bed shortages. The organizers had initially expected around 15,000 participants, while the Olympic Council of Asia estimated over 17,000. Hashimoto admitted that it had been difficult to accommodate the excess attendees and that this may have caused some challenges for the athletes.

To cut costs, local organizers decided against building a dedicated athletes' village and instead housed participants in temporary wooden containers, a cruise ship in Nagoya's port, and various hotels. The Games have faced criticism for mismanagement, with recurrent issues concerning athletes' transport, including buses failing to arrive or taking competitors to improper destinations.

Some teams reported being stranded at the airport for up to six hours upon arrival in Nagoya. Despite attendance being strong in certain sports, many events took place in front of thousands of empty seats. Hashimoto attributed the difficulties to adverse weather conditions, such as several days of rain and a looming typhoon. However, she acknowledged the transport problems and expressed disappointment with the low turnouts in some sports.

Hashimoto emphasized that the Games served as a valuable learning experience for future Japanese major sporting events. She emphasized the necessity of analyzing every aspect to improve in future competitions.