Japan Olympic chief admits Asian Games faced bed shortage, transport problems

Japan Olympic Committee president Seiko Hashimoto has admitted that more athletes and officials attended the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya than organisers had expected, contributing to a shortage of accommodation.

Speaking to AFP on Saturday, Hashimoto said organisers had “more than we expected” and acknowledged that accommodating the additional participants may have caused problems for athletes.

Local organisers had said they expected about 15,000 athletes and officials, while the Olympic Council of Asia put the number at more than 17,000.

Organisers decided against building a dedicated athletes’ village to reduce costs. Instead, participants were accommodated in temporary wooden containers, a cruise ship docked at Nagoya’s port and hotels.

The Games, which began on September 19 and end on Sunday, have faced repeated complaints over their organisation. Several teams reported transport problems, including buses failing to arrive or taking athletes to the wrong venues.

Some teams also said they were stranded at the airport for up to six hours after arriving in Nagoya.

Attendance has also varied across events. While some sports attracted large crowds, several others, including the opening ceremony, were held in front of thousands of empty seats.

Hashimoto said weather conditions, including several days of rain and the threat of a typhoon, had made the Games challenging. She also acknowledged transport problems and expressed disappointment over poor attendance at some events.

She described the Games as a “great learning” experience for Japan’s future hosting of major sporting competitions.

“We need to analyse every element so we can improve in future,” Hashimoto said.