Athletes plead for help as "Worst ever" Asian Games face bed shortage
No athletes’ village, leaking sinks: housing crisis hits Nagoya Asian Games
Dubai: The Asian Games in Japan are facing accommodation problems just days before the official opening, with South Korean officials describing the housing situation as the “worst ever” and warning of a “serious shortage” of rooms.
The Games in Nagoya and Aichi officially open on Saturday, although football and basketball competitions have already begun. Unlike previous editions, there is no dedicated athletes’ village, with organisers using hotels, temporary wooden cabins and a cruise ship to reduce costs.
South Korean basketball officials have raised concerns over the size and condition of the cabins being used by their men’s team. Jung Jae-Yong, vice president of the Korea Basketball Association, said athletes taller than two metres cannot stretch their legs on the beds.
“Based on my experience this is the worst it has ever been,” Jung told AFP.
Another South Korean player, Byeon Jun-Hyeong, posted a video showing a leaking sink and soaked floor inside his hut, captioning it, “Please help us”.
Around 2,000 athletes and officials are expected to stay in the cabins during the Games. Indian sports officials are making their athletes live in shipping containers so they can familiarise themselves with the accommodation before arriving.
More than 17,000 athletes and officials are expected, exceeding the initial estimate of 15,000. A South Korean Olympic committee official told AFP there was a “serious shortage” of accommodation across the Aichi-Nagoya area.
Philippine officials have also turned to Airbnb, while the Italian Costa Serena cruise ship is due to arrive on Tuesday and accommodate between 4,000 and 5,000 athletes.
The accommodation concerns have been compounded by heavy rainfall, which briefly forced hundreds of athletes to evacuate last week, with more rain forecast.
