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

Japanese Olympic Committee president Seiko Hashimoto has called for Asian Games organizers to reflect on their preparations in light of operational issues that arose during the multi-sport event. At the Aichi-Nagoya Games, organizers anticipated 15,000 athletes and officials but the total number of participants rose to around 17,000, straining resources and causing inconvenience for competitors.

Hashimoto stated that the challenges posed by the additional athletes had created significant logistical difficulties, particularly in terms of transportation. The Games featured a diverse range of accommodations, including hotels, temporary wooden container units, and a cruise ship, in an effort to minimize costs. However, this decentralized approach led to issues such as double-booked rooms and incorrect athlete assignments.

Several national team delegations expressed dissatisfaction with the chaotic logistics, including transportation problems that disrupted athletes' preparation for competition. Satoshi Murate, secretary general of the Asian Games organising committee, apologized last week for the mishaps in accommodation and transport, attributing the difficulties to the late surge of athletes and officials.

Hashimoto emphasized that learning from past mistakes and taking steps to prevent similar issues in future events is crucial for the successful operation of the Games.