Asian Games Hosts Run Out Of Rooms, Asks Late Additions To Find Own Accommodation

No Games village, around 5000 players expected to stay on an Italian cruise ship docked in the area. Cricketers to be accommodated 20 kms from the venue. Organisers of next month’s Asian Games in Japan have run into an accommodation crunch, with countries and participants added to the Games after the original planning now being told to make their own arrangements. The Nagoya-Aichi Asian Games are scheduled from September 19 to October 4, with around 15,000 athletes and officials originally expected. That figure has since risen to 17,000, including around 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials, after teqball and padel were added to the programme.

Organising committee president Hideki Omura said the host agreement was based on a delegation size of 15,000 and that no additional budget had been set aside.

“The host city agreement specified a delegation of 15,000 people. We have not set aside a budget for any more than that. There is simply nowhere for them to stay. If they still wish to come, they will have to make their own arrangements.”

Nagoya mayor Ichiro Hirosawa has also acknowledged the difficulty of accommodating the increased numbers, with the Games being staged on a tight budget.

Unlike the Olympics, there will be no traditional athletes’ village. Organisers are using a mix of hotels, a cruise ship and temporary container-style accommodation.

Around 4,000 to 5,000 athletes are expected to stay on the Italian cruise ship docked in the area, while another 2,000 will be housed in temporary accommodation. Other participants will stay in hotels, with some events being held outside Nagoya, including swimming, diving and equestrian competitions in Tokyo.

Reports this week said the local organising committee had asked the Olympic Council of Asia to reduce the number of participants. The accommodation problems come as cricket teams are also raising concerns about facilities at the venue for the sport.

India and Pakistan are among the teams preparing to play at Korogi Sports Park, a remodelled baseball facility being used for the Asian Games cricket competition. The ground still has a pitcher’s mound, while the pitch was laid recently and has had limited competitive use.

The Asian Cricket Council is expected to send a delegation to inspect the venue ahead of the competition, which begins on September 17. An ACC source told NDTV that the quality of the pitch remains a concern and that the venue does not have proper dressing rooms.

The venue did host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in May. Japan Cricket Association CEO and former cricketer Naoki Alex Miyaji had spoken positively about the opportunity to host Asian Games cricket and welcome Full Members to Japan.

There are also concerns over player accommodation. Cricketers are expected to stay around 20 kilometres from Korogi Sports Park, with shared rooms raising concerns about space for players and their equipment.

“It is a genuine problem, since the rooms are very tiny. If one player opens a kitbag, there won’t be much space left to stand. We are trying to figure out a solution to this problem,” a BCCI source told NDTV.

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