Organisers defend Asian Games village where athletes are sleeping in wooden containers

In preparation for the Asian Games starting in Nagoya, Japan, the organizers have opted for cost-saving measures by providing temporary accommodations for the athletes, including container huts and a cruise liner, which have led to numerous complaints regarding their functionality.

Despite criticism, particularly from South Korean officials, efforts are reportedly underway to address these issues in order to ensure comfort and safety, especially pertinent as recent heavy rainfall and typhoon season prevail.

Additionally, ticket sales are reportedly strong for key events; however, lesser-known sports, such as cricket, have struggled to garner interest within Japan.

The Games, featuring athletes from 45 countries, aim to strengthen regional bonds through sport.

NAGOYA, Sept 17 — Accommodation for Asian Games athletes in Japan is “functional” and efforts are being made to deal with numerous complaints from disgruntled teams, a chief organiser told AFP.

More than 17,000 competitors and officials are expected at the continent’s biggest sporting spectacular, which opens on Saturday in Nagoya.

In a bid to cut costs, organisers are housing athletes and officials in temporary accommodation ranging from a cruise liner and wooden containers to hotel rooms.

The plan has run into immediate problems, with South Korean officials branding the container huts the “worst ever” and saying the beds are too short.

An official from another team told AFP that he entered the facility, took one look at the arrangement and booked a hotel room instead.

Several countries have also complained about a shortage of accommodation.

Speaking ahead of the opening ceremony, organising committee president Hideaki Omura said efforts are being made to ensure athletes are comfortable.

“If there are different opinions then we will respond to them appropriately,” said Omura, who also serves as governor of Aichi prefecture.

“At this point, while we are responding to individual opinions, we have been improving everything as issues arise and we will continue to respond that way.”

Byeon Jun-hyeong, a player with South Korea’s men’s basketball team, posted a video on social media showing a leaking sink and soaked floor in his hut accommodation.

He posted the caption, “Please help us”.

Hundreds of athletes were briefly evacuated from their accommodation last week as record rainfall lashed Nagoya.

About 2,000 people are supposed to stay in the huts.

Omura said plans for the huts, which were built this year, had been given a favourable assessment by a committee of former athletes, including Olympians.

“We explained everything to them and had them take a look around, and they said it looked functional and good,” he said.

About 4,000 athletes and officials will also stay on the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena, which arrived in Nagoya on Tuesday.

Cruise ships have been used previously as accommodation at international sports events but never on this scale.

The Asian Games are taking place at a time when typhoons are common in Japan, and Nagoya has experienced heavy rainfall in recent weeks.

Omura said the priority was to keep athletes and officials on board safe.

“We believe we can provide accommodation that guarantees athletes’ safety and allows them to deliver their best performance,” he said.

Athletes from 45 countries and territories will compete in more than 40 sports across over two weeks.

Omura said ticket sales were going “fairly well”, especially for the marquee events.

But he admitted that lesser-known sports had yet to capture the Japanese public’s imagination.

That includes cricket, which is practically unknown in Japan.

“India have a superstar cricket squad coming and Indian residents in Japan are saying, ‘I can’t believe we get to watch matches like this’, but ticket sales haven’t been very strong,” said Omura.

“A lot of people in Japan have never seen cricket, so I really hope they take this chance and go and watch.”

Events at the Games including basketball and football have been under way since last week.

Omura said he was in attendance as the first action began when Qatar took on Iran in men’s basketball.

After watching a physical contest, Omura said he hoped the Games would help Asia “reaffirm its bonds of friendship through sport”.

“Iran and Qatar are in a situation where missiles are flying back and forth but they can still play basketball together,” he said.

“Without the Asian Games you couldn’t have a game like that.” — AFP

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为筹备在日本名古屋举行的亚运会，组织者选择了节约成本的措施，为运动员提供临时住所，包括集装箱小屋和游轮，但这引发了许多关于其功能性的投诉。

尽管受到批评，特别是来自韩国官员的批评，但据报道，相关部门正在努力解决这些问题，以确保舒适和安全，尤其是在最近强降雨和台风季节持续的情况下，这一点尤为重要。

此外，据报道，重要赛事的门票销售情况良好；然而，板球等不太知名的运动在日本却难以引起人们的兴趣。

本届运动会汇聚了来自 45 个国家的运动员，旨在通过体育运动加强区域联系。

名古屋，9 月 17 日——一位主要组织者告诉法新社，日本亚运会运动员的住宿条件“尚可”，目前正在努力处理不满队伍提出的诸多投诉。

预计将有超过 17,000 名参赛选手和官员参加这场亚洲最大的体育盛会，该赛事将于周六在名古屋开幕。

为了节省成本，组织者安排运动员和官员居住在临时住所，包括游轮、木制集装箱和酒店房间。

该计划立即遇到了问题，韩国官员称这些集装箱小屋是“有史以来最差的”，并表示床太短。

另一支球队的一名官员告诉法新社，他进入了该设施，看了一眼里面的布置，然后就改订了酒店房间。

一些国家也抱怨住宿短缺。

在开幕式前夕，组委会主席大村英明表示，组委会正在努力确保运动员们感到舒适。

“如果存在不同的意见，我们会做出适当的回应，”大村说道，他同时也是爱知县知事。

“目前，虽然我们会回应个别意见，但我们一直在根据出现的问题改进各个方面，并将继续以这种方式回应。”

韩国男篮队员卞俊亨在社交媒体上发布了一段视频，视频显示他所住的小屋里水槽漏水，地板被水浸湿。

他发布了一条配文：“请帮帮我们”。

上周，名古屋遭遇破纪录的暴雨，数百名运动员被迫从住处短暂撤离。

大约有2000人将居住在这些小屋里。

大村表示，今年建造的这些小屋的规划方案已经得到了包括奥运选手在内的前运动员委员会的积极评价。

他说：“我们向他们解释了一切，并让他们四处看了看，他们说看起来功能齐全，很不错。”

约有 4000 名运动员和官员也将入住意大利歌诗达塞雷纳号邮轮，该邮轮于周二抵达名古屋。

游轮以前也曾被用作国际体育赛事的住宿设施，但从未达到如此规模。

亚运会举办之际，正值日本台风频发之时，而名古屋近几周也遭遇了强降雨。

大村表示，首要任务是确保机上运动员和官员的安全。

他说：“我们相信我们能够提供保障运动员安全的住宿条件，让他们能够发挥出最佳水平。”

来自 45 个国家和地区的运动员将在两周多的时间里参加 40 多个体育项目的比赛。

大村表示，门票销售情况“相当不错”，尤其是重头戏的门票销售情况。

但他承认，一些不太知名的体育运动尚未引起日本公众的关注。

这其中就包括板球，这项运动在日本几乎无人知晓。

“印度派出了一支超级明星板球队来访，在日本的印度居民都说，‘真不敢相信我们能看到这样的比赛’，但门票销售情况却不太理想，”大村说道。

“日本很多人从未看过板球比赛，所以我真心希望他们能抓住这个机会去观看。”

包括篮球和足球在内的奥运会比赛项目从上周开始已经进行。

大村表示，他当时在现场观看了卡塔尔男篮对阵伊朗的首场比赛。

观看完一场精彩的比赛后，大村表示，他希望本届奥运会能够帮助亚洲“通过体育重申友谊纽带”。

他说：“伊朗和卡塔尔目前的情况是导弹互相发射，但他们仍然可以一起打篮球。”

“如果没有亚运会，就不会有这样的比赛。”——法新社

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