Asian Games organisers pledge better housing after athlete complaints

In Aichi-Nagoya, the Asian Games have relied on hotels, wooden temporary units and a cruise ship for housing more than 17,000 participants, bypassing a conventional athletes' village to cut costs. Several teams, including South Korea, complained that the container-style huts are overly small and the beds insufficient for taller athletes. Deputy director of athletes' accommodation Yuta Matsuo said the problems were larger than anticipated but that swift action has avoided serious inconvenience.

He promised ongoing attention to cultural and personal preferences and pledged further improvements for the remaining week of competition. IOC president Kirsty Coventry called the units "beautiful" yet acknowledged they are tighter than those used at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Media were invited to inspect the 200 huts, each 35 square metres with basic amenities but no cooking facilities.