'Everything here is made of cardboard': TeamSG triathlete reveals cardboard beds, bike stands at Asian Games lodgings“这里的一切都是用纸板做的”:新加坡铁人三项队运动员揭露亚运会住宿中的床铺和自行车架
Cardboard beds. Cardboard bicycle stands. For Team Singapore triathlete Luke Chua, that's part of life at the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.Chua, 25, shared a video via Instagram on Thursday (Sept 17) showcasing his lodging in Japan. Speaking to AsiaOne, he said that the triathlon and sailing teams were allocated hotel rooms in Gamagori, since their competition venues are located...

Cardboard beds. Cardboard bicycle stands. For Team Singapore triathlete Luke Chua, that's part of life at the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Chua, 25, shared a video via Instagram on Thursday (Sept 17) showcasing his lodging in Japan.
Speaking to AsiaOne, he said that the triathlon and sailing teams were allocated hotel rooms in Gamagori, since their competition venues are located further away from the main village.
He shares a room with fellow teammate Tey Yi Jun, who also appears in the video.
In the clip, which has garnered over 97,000 views, the pair reveal that their beds are supported by cardboard frames. Tey lifts the mattress and bedding to show the structure underneath before peeling back a section of the cardboard, revealing its frame.
The duo also show viewers their bicycle stands, which are likewise made of cardboard.
"So I guess everything here is made of cardboard," Chua jokes.
Cardboard beds 'pretty standard nowadays'
While cardboard furniture may seem unusual, Chua told AsiaOne that such arrangements are becoming increasingly common at major sporting events.
"I have never experienced this before but from what my friends who have been to Olympics tell me, it's pretty standard nowadays especially for major games as it's more environmentally-friendly and more cost-effective," he said.
However, Chua has no qualms about the accommodation provided, and said there is "more than enough room".
When asked if the cardboard beds might affect his sleep and race performance, Chua said: "I don't think it would affect that much, at least for me."
"After going through NS outfields, I think any sleeping condition is better," he quipped.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Luke Chua (@luke.chuaa)
A post shared by Luke Chua (@luke.chuaa)
The 2026 Asian Games will take place from Sept 19 to Oct 4, and Team SG will be fielding a total of 304 athletes across 27 sports.
During the Team Singapore Flag Presentation Ceremony at OCBC Square on Aug 29, chef de mission Goh Kee Nguan said that the contingent will be heading to the Games without a medal target, but a goal to showcase their best performances against Asia's top competitors.
The contingent will have to contend with an unusual Games environment, with competition venues and accommodation spread across Aichi-Nagoya and other parts of Japan.
Singapore National Olympic Council president Grace Fu also told the contingent to expect logistical, accommodation and food-related challenges, as well as possible disruption during Japan's typhoon season, and urged them to stay focused on their campaigns.
Some athletes and officials will stay on a cruise ship, while others will be housed in temporary modular accommodation.
Jung Jae-yong, vice-president of the Korea Basketball Association, told AFP that the accommodation at the Games was the "worst it has ever been", with athletes over two metres tall unable to even stretch their legs out on the beds.
Some athletes are being housed in wooden container huts, while others are staying on an Italian cruise ship which docked in Nagoya and others are in hotels.
"Whoever is the toughest, whoever is the most resilient, will prevail," said Fu.
dana.leong@asiaone.com
纸板床,纸板自行车架。对于新加坡铁人三项队运动员卢克·蔡来说,这就是他备战即将到来的2026年爱知-名古屋亚运会的一部分。
25岁的蔡某周四(9月17日)在Instagram上分享了一段视频,展示了他在日本的住处。
他向AsiaOne表示,由于铁人三项队和帆船队的比赛场地距离主村较远,因此为他们安排了蒲郡的酒店房间。
他和队友郑义俊共用一个房间,郑义俊也出现在视频中。
这段视频的观看次数已超过9.7万次,视频中两人展示了他们的床是用纸板框架支撑的。他们掀开床垫和被褥,露出下面的结构,然后撕开一部分纸板,露出框架。
两人还向观众展示了他们的自行车支架,这些支架也是用纸板制成的。
“所以我想这里的一切都是用纸板做的吧,”蔡开玩笑说。
纸板床现在“相当普遍”
虽然纸板家具看起来可能不太寻常,但蔡告诉AsiaOne,这种安排在大型体育赛事中正变得越来越普遍。
“我以前从未经历过这种情况,但据我去过奥运会的朋友说,现在这种情况很普遍,尤其是在大型赛事中,因为这样更环保、更经济,”他说。
然而,蔡先生对所提供的住宿条件没有任何不满,并表示“空间绰绰有余”。
当被问及纸板床是否会影响他的睡眠和比赛表现时,蔡先生说:“我认为不会有太大影响,至少对我来说是这样。”
“在经历了国民服役的种种磨难之后,我觉得任何睡眠条件都比现在好,”他打趣道。
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2026 年亚运会将于 9 月 19 日至 10 月 4 日举行,新加坡队将派出 304 名运动员参加 27 个体育项目。
8月29日,在华侨银行广场举行的新加坡代表团升旗仪式上,代表团团长吴启源表示,代表团此次参赛没有奖牌目标,而是希望在与亚洲顶级竞争对手的较量中展现最佳水平。
由于比赛场地和住宿地点分散在爱知县名古屋市和日本其他地区,代表团将不得不应对不同寻常的奥运会环境。
新加坡国家奥委会主席傅海燕也告诉代表团,他们可能会面临后勤、住宿和食物方面的挑战,以及日本台风季节可能带来的干扰,并敦促他们专注于自己的比赛。
部分运动员和官员将住在游轮上,而其他人将被安置在临时模块化住所中。
韩国篮球协会副主席郑在勇告诉法新社,奥运会期间的住宿条件是“有史以来最差的”,身高超过两米的运动员甚至无法在床上伸直双腿。
一些运动员被安置在木制集装箱小屋里,一些运动员住在停靠在名古屋的意大利游轮上,还有一些运动员住在酒店里。
“谁最坚强,谁最有韧性,谁就能获胜,”傅说。
dana.leong@asiaone.com