Asian Games Lodging Controversy Draws International Attention

Controversy over the use of temporary wooden units and cruise ships to accommodate athletes at the Asian Games has attracted media attention in North America, where the event typically receives limited coverage.

The Globe and Mail, one of Canada’s leading newspapers, prominently reported on the discomfort faced by some participants because of the organizers’ decision to house athletes in converted wooden units.

The Asian Games have returned to Japan for the third time since the inaugural event was held in New Delhi in 1951. The Aichi-Nagoya Games feature approximately 11,000 athletes, exceeding the number who competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Competitors from 45 countries are participating across 43 sports, including athletes from some of the world’s most populous nations, such as China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan.

The Olympic Council of Asia, which oversees the Games, defended the accommodation arrangements. It said all “17,000 athletes and officials” registered by the July entry deadline had been provided “Games-appropriate accommodation.”

Efforts to reduce the cost of hosting major sporting events have gained momentum in recent years, including during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Japanese organizers decided against constructing dedicated athletes’ and media villages, choosing instead to accommodate participants and officials on a cruise ship, in hotels and in temporary wooden units.

The decision reflects concerns about the rising cost of staging international competitions. Japan spent an estimated $13 billion to organize the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed from 2020 to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some estimates suggested the actual cost was considerably higher.

The Italian cruise ship Costa Serena has been docked at a Nagoya port and is reportedly accommodating about 5,000 athletes and officials. Organizers are rotating participants through the ship, with athletes departing after completing their events and being replaced by those scheduled to compete later.

China has sent a delegation of 815 athletes.

The Asian Games, one of the world’s oldest multisport competitions, have returned to Japan after 32 years. This is the first time a host prefecture has welcomed the Games, which feature a substantially revised competition schedule.

Organizers deployed approximately 10,000 security personnel in Nagoya for the opening ceremony, attended by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

The hosts have sought to combine contemporary urban sports with traditional regional competitions, resulting in significant changes to the program. The Olympic Council of Asia retained culturally significant sports such as sepak takraw, kabaddi, wushu, jujitsu and kurash.

Mixed martial arts, padel, teqball, virtual taekwondo, esports and breaking are making their Asian Games debuts.

Several established Olympic and non-Olympic events have been removed from the program. They include marathon swimming, dragon boat racing, roller skating, chess, go and bridge.

Despite the logistical challenges, stadiums and other venues across Aichi and Nagoya are hosting high-profile competitions, particularly in sports offering direct qualification opportunities for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Archery, hockey, sailing, squash, surfing, tennis and triathlon will provide important qualification pathways and are expected to produce intense regional rivalries.

The archery competition is likely to feature a strong contest among South Korea, India and China.

Japanese fans will be watching Haruka Kitaguchi, one of the country’s leading athletes, as she competes at home after breaking her national record with a 68.92-meter throw in the women’s javelin and winning the World Ultimate Championship.

China’s leading contenders include Paris 2024 double gold medalist Pan Zhanle, who won the men’s 100-meter freestyle in world-record time, and Wang Chuqin, the world’s top-ranked men’s table tennis singles player.

The Philippines delegation includes Carlos Yulo, the Paris 2024 Olympic champion in the vault and floor exercise, as well as rising tennis player Alex Eala. Yulo will lead the country’s gymnastics team as it seeks continental success.

South Korea’s An Se-young, the Paris 2024 women’s singles badminton champion, enters the competition as one of the leading players in her discipline. The South Korean delegation also includes prominent fencing and archery competitors, reflecting the country’s traditional strength in both sports.

Pakistan will be represented in the men’s javelin by Paris 2024 Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, who is expected to face Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga. India’s former Olympic champion has withdrawn from the Games.

Tharanga enters the competition in strong form after surpassing the 90-meter mark several times. His preparation faced an unexpected setback when his carbon-composite javelin was reportedly broken in half during a recent flight.

Tharanga has won every competition he has entered this year, with victories at the Commonwealth Games, the Diamond League final and the Athletics Ultimate World Championship.

India’s medal prospects are expected to center on its men’s and women’s kabaddi and hockey teams, along with shooting, badminton, boxing, wrestling and athletics.

Shooter Manu Bhaker, who served as a flag-bearer during the opening ceremony, will be among India’s leading competitors. Badminton player P.V. Sindhu, though not as dominant as she was at her peak, remains one of the world’s leading players and enters the Games following a recent tournament victory.

Former world No. 1 men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are considered strong contenders in the badminton team and doubles competitions.

Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain will lead India’s medal hopes in boxing. A strong performance in Nagoya could further establish her as one of the most successful boxers in the country’s history.

Weightlifting could produce several world-record performances. North Korea and China remain the leading teams, while athletes from Iran, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand and India are expected to contend in several weight divisions.

In wrestling, India’s Aman Sehrawat will return to competition after winning a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He represents a new generation of Indian wrestlers seeking success on the continental stage.

India’s freestyle wrestling team also includes World Championships silver medalist Sujeet Kalkal. India, Japan and Iran are considered among the leading contenders, although they are expected to face strong competition across the wrestling events.

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