Japan’s Olympics chief says Asian Games organisers must reflect after operational problems

Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, has called for Asian Games organisers to take a hard look at their preparations following numerous operational problems. At the Aichi-Nagoya Games, the committee had budgeted for 15,000 athletes and officials, but the actual number of registered participants rose to around 17,000.

This surge in athletes and officials proved extremely difficult to accommodate, causing significant inconvenience for the athletes. Hashimoto highlighted the challenges posed by the use of various accommodations spread across different locations, including hotels, temporary wooden container units, and even a cruise ship. These diverse accommodations led to transportation issues, double-booked rooms, and incorrect assignments, which impacted athletes' preparations for competition.

The Asian Games organising committee's secretary general, Satoshi Murate, had previously apologized for the accommodation and transport mishaps, attributing the difficulties to a late influx of athletes and officials. Hashimoto, who previously headed the Tokyo Olympics organising committee, emphasized that learning from these mistakes and improving future events is a crucial task for the committee.