South Korea's Olympic committee has reported a 'serious shortage of accommodation' for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, with officials resorting to Airbnb. With more than 17,000 athletes and officials expected, local organisers are struggling to provide adequate housing. There is no dedicated athletes' village, and organisers are relying on a cruise ship, temporary wooden containers, and hotels to cut costs.
Accommodation Challenges
The Games are taking place in Nagoya and the wider Aichi area, with some events already under way ahead of Saturday's opening ceremony. Local organisers were initially expecting 15,000 participants but have since revised their estimates upwards. They issued a joint statement with the Olympic Council of Asia assuring that all registered athletes and officials would be provided with 'Games-appropriate accommodation'. However, a Korean Sport and Olympic Committee official told AFP that their team had encountered problems.
'At the moment there is a serious shortage of accommodation not only for the entire South Korean delegation to the Asian Games, but for delegations from around the world in the Aichi-Nagoya area,' the official said. 'We are doing everything we can to resolve the issue and ensure there are no such problems.'
Temporary Solutions and Concerns
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino told AFP that all his country's athletes had been given a bed, but'some officials, like coaches, were moved to different hotels and Airbnb'. There is also concern about the quality of the accommodation, especially the shipping container-style huts that are set to be home to 2,000 athletes and officials.
Organisers have hired the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena for the event, and it is due to arrive in Nagoya on Tuesday. Between 4,000 and 5,000 athletes will stay on the ship. The rest will be in hotels, including in Tokyo, where swimming, diving, and equestrian events will take place. Hundreds of athletes were briefly evacuated from their accommodation as record rainfall lashed Nagoya last week.
Athletes staying at the city's Garden Pier area, where the wooden container huts are located, were told to move to safety. The athletes returned after the evacuation order was lifted about two hours later. More rain has been forecast for Nagoya in the coming days.
