With the 20th Asian Games now under way, the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC) has responded to mounting reports about accommodation and catering problems affecting delegations.
In a statement issued on September 22, AINAGOC said it was aware that some delegations had posted messages expressing confusion after boarding the cruise ship on September 16.
The organisers rejected reports that delays were caused by their failure to submit accommodation information. According to AINAGOC, the “primary reason for the boarding delays and confusion” was the time required to resolve “incomplete documentation submitted by some delegations.”
The committee said it was working with Costa Cruises and JTB Corporation, which has been contracted to operate the cruise ship, and would continue working with service providers to ensure the smooth reception of athlete delegations.
AINAGOC also responded to criticism of food and beverages served at the Techball venue, saying that the items “were not provided by the AINAGOC.”
The organisers said meal systems had been established at accommodation facilities with sports, competition schedules and training requirements in mind. They also said they were addressing individual requests concerning food allergies and religious or cultural dietary restrictions.
The statement ended with a commitment to “listen sincerely to the voices of the delegations”, make “necessary improvements” and ensure that teams can participate in the Games “with peace of mind.”
But for India, the accommodation story had already moved beyond social-media complaints and into the daily experience of athletes and officials.
Indian athletes arriving in Nagoya faced a series of logistical problems in the opening days of the Games. On September 16, Indian athletes aboard the cruise ship reportedly waited for hours without being allocated rooms. The New Indian Express reported that some rowers were left without food while waiting and that some athletes were eventually asked to share accommodation. Shooters were moved to another hotel after the accommodation originally allocated to them was taken by others.
The accommodation issue was subsequently acknowledged by Indian officials. Around 30–35 Indian athletes were reported to have been affected, with additional hotel rooms eventually arranged.
For athletes, however, the problems were not limited to having a bed at the end of the day.
The Indian shooting contingent, for example, has had to deal with a venue that is a considerable distance from its accommodation, making transport and travel time an additional part of the competition equation. Other members of the contingent have faced check-in complications and changes to their accommodation arrangements.
The wider problem at these Games is that there is no conventional Athletes’ Village. Delegations are spread across hotels, temporary accommodation and, in some cases, a cruise ship. That arrangement was designed as an alternative to building a traditional village, but the complexity of moving thousands of athletes between different locations has created its own logistical challenges. Reuters reported that more than 17,000 athletes and officials are being accommodated through this system.
AINAGOC’s latest statement therefore comes at an awkward moment. The organisers insist that systems are in place and that some of the reports circulating about the causes of the problems are incorrect. But athletes from several countries have already experienced delays, confusion and disruption.
For India, the immediate concern is simple: once the Games begin, every hour spent dealing with accommodation, food or transport is an hour that athletes would rather spend recovering, training or preparing to compete.
The Asian Games are ultimately judged by what happens on the field. But getting athletes to that field rested, fed and ready is part of the competition infrastructure too.