NAGOYA: The 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya are set to open on September 19, but organisers are facing mounting logistical challenges just hours before the opening ceremony, with athletes and officials reporting long waits for accommodation, accreditation problems, transport delays, food concerns and room-allocation errors.
More than 17,000 athletes and officials are expected to take part, with over 11,000 athletes competing across 43 sports. Instead of building a traditional Athletes’ Village, organisers have distributed participants across hotels, temporary container-style accommodation and the Costa Serena cruise ship, which is being used as a floating village for thousands of participants.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has defended the model as a cost-conscious and sustainable alternative to constructing a permanent village that could become underused after the Games. However, the scale of the operation has come under strain, with reports of athletes waiting for several hours in some cases up to 14 hours for rooms, credentials and transport.
Japan’s deputy chef de mission Hisashi Mizutori acknowledged that credential activation had slowed entry procedures at the cruise-ship accommodation, saying the process had taken “a significant amount of time”.
Meanwhile, organisers are also preparing for the possible impact of Typhoon Dujuan after torrential rain recently disrupted transport and forced some evacuations and event changes in the region.
Athletes Face Long Delays
The logistical difficulties have been particularly visible among the Indian contingent. Indian rowers arriving at the Costa Serena reportedly waited for hours before rooms were assigned, with some athletes also facing problems because their names or accommodation details were missing from the system.
Reports said several rowers had to wait through much of the day and some relied on food they had carried with them after experiencing difficulties accessing meals. Indian shooters also faced a lengthy wait for transport after arriving at Nagoya airport, eventually reaching their accommodation in the early hours after delays that affected their rest and preparation.
The Indian shooting team’s journey to the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery was also reportedly far longer than expected: after waiting nearly three hours for transport, the team took more than two hours to reach the venue and missed its allotted practice slot.
India’s pistol shooting coach Samaresh Jung separately faced an accreditation problem that reportedly restricted his access to required areas. These incidents come as teams are spread across multiple accommodation sites rather than living in one central Games Village, increasing dependence on buses and other transport links.
Room Mix-Ups Add Pressure
Accommodation problems have affected the host nation as well. Japan’s deputy chef de mission Hisashi Mizutori said some members of the Japanese delegation had been assigned inappropriate shared rooms, including arrangements involving male and female athletes, prompting the delegation to consider alternative accommodation.
The Japanese Olympic Committee had reserved additional hotel rooms as a contingency. Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak and her coach Ashok Mishra also encountered a late-night room-allocation mix-up aboard the Costa Serena.
They were reportedly assigned the same room, after which the Indian Olympic Association intervened and arranged separate accommodation. The situation was further prolonged when Mishra’s booking could not initially be located because of a clerical error involving his name. Reports said the matter was eventually resolved after midnight.
Space has also emerged as a concern, particularly in the temporary container-style units, where athletes have complained about limited room for luggage and cramped living conditions. Some athletes from other delegations have raised concerns about bed sizes and cabin space.
Organisers, however, have maintained that accommodation has been arranged for registered participants and have said they are working with delegations to resolve individual complaints.
Weather Adds Fresh Uncertainty
The organisational problems are unfolding against a difficult weather backdrop. Nagoya and surrounding parts of Aichi recently experienced torrential rain that disrupted trains, prompted evacuations and affected some sporting schedules.
Japan’s Olympic officials are now preparing for the possible arrival of Typhoon Dujuan, which was reported moving towards central Japan with maximum sustained winds of about 90 kmph and gusts of up to 126 kmph.
Japan’s chef de mission Kosei Inoue said the Japanese Olympic Committee was carrying out detailed contingency planning in case the storm disrupts competitions or transport.
The OCA has also defended the decision to avoid a conventional Games Village. OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam said constructing one could have created an expensive facility with limited use after the event, while coordination commission head Tayyab Ikram said an Athletes’ Village is not a mandatory requirement.
Organisers have instead relied on existing hotels, temporary facilities and the Costa Serena, which can accommodate thousands of participants.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
A major sporting event is ultimately about the athletes, officials and people who make the competition possible. Cost-conscious and sustainable planning can be valuable, but such decisions must also ensure that athletes have safe accommodation, adequate food, privacy, reliable transport and enough time to rest and prepare.
The reported experiences in Nagoya show how quickly administrative delays can affect people who have travelled thousands of kilometres to represent their countries. At the same time, the willingness of local volunteers and organisers to assist stranded athletes shows the importance of empathy and cooperation when systems come under pressure.
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