'Find your own room': Japan says can't handle added Asian Games numbers
Organizers of the Asian Games in Nagoya are struggling to accommodate a surge in participants, with numbers reaching over 17,000. To manage the shortage, they are utilizing a cruise ship and temporary container housing to ensure all athletes have lodging.
Why it matters
The logistical challenges of hosting massive international sporting events highlight the tension between budget constraints and the growing scale of global competitions.
Asian Games organisers said Friday that all participants at next month's event would have a place to stay after numbers ballooned to more than 17,000, raising fears of a bed shortage.
About 15,000 athletes and officials were initially expected at the Games, which are being held in Nagoya and the wider Aichi area from September 19 to October 4.
That was already more than the Olympics, but the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) last week put the number at 17,000 -- 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials.
There is no dedicated athletes' village, organisers instead relying on a cruise ship, temporary wooden containers and hotels.
In March, the OCA added teqball and padel to the sporting programme.
Organising committee president Hideaki Omura said earlier this week that they had "neither the manpower nor the budget to make the necessary arrangements" for extra participants.
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