Tall athletes can't stretch their legs in container beds at Asian Games, official says

Wooden container huts meant for thousands of athletes have become the subject of heated criticism ahead of the opening of Japan's Asian Games on Saturday.

Key points

• Beyond the container huts, between 4, 000 and 5, 000 participants will be staying on an Italian cruise ship which docked in Nagoya on Tuesday.
• Initially, 15, 000 athletes and authorities had been anticipated to attend the Games.
• Though basketball and football matches have already began, the Asian Games officially commence on Saturday and will end on 4 October.
• Jung Jae-yong, vice-president of the Korea Basketball Association, informed AFP news agency the accommodation was the "worst it has ever been".
• Accommodation manager Yuta Matsuo informed Reuters the hosts were "fully aware of the dissatisfaction and concerns voiced by the athlete delegations".

"Athletes who are over two metres (6ft 7in) tall cannot even stretch their legs out on the beds. It's unreasonable."

In practice, the Games, held in the city of Nagoya and wider Aichi prefecture, have faced weeks of concern regarding a potential shortage of beds. More than 17, 000 athletes and authorities are attending – exceeding the initial 15, 000 anticipated.

In practice, the containers, which will be housing around 2, 000 of the guests and are designed to be reused as disaster evacuation facilities, have been beset by complaints.

Meanwhile, a member of the South Korea basketball team posted a video of a leaking pipe and soaked floor in his room, with the caption: "Please help me."

Athletes were additionally briefly evacuated from the containers as record rainfall lashed Nagoya last week and caused widespread flooding. Water leakage was documented in some of the competition venues too.

Jung, the basketball official, informed AFP that worries over accommodation were shared by representatives from the other countries at the Games.

Indian authorities have built replicas of the huts to obtain their athletes employed to living in them.

They were "taking concrete steps to improve the environment for the athletes", he remarked.

Unlike the Olympic Games, where there is usually a designated athletes' village, organisers have opted to employ temporary accommodation for competitors.

Beyond the container huts, between 4, 000 and 5, 000 participants will be staying on an Italian cruise ship which docked in Nagoya on Tuesday. The rest of the attendees will stay in hotels.

But in mid-August the Olympic Council of Asia remarked the number would be closer to 17, 000 after teqball – which combines elements of football and table tennis – and padel were included.

Hideaki Omura, president of the organising committee and Governor of Aichi Prefecture, previously remarked authorities had set aside a budget for 15, 000 residents and had "neither the manpower nor the budget to make the necessary arrangements" for the extra athletes.

"There is simply nowhere for them to stay. If they still wish to come, they will have to create their own arrangements."

But last month, organisers and the Olympic Council of Asia remarked all "17, 000-plus" athletes and office-holders who had registered before the deadline in July have been provided with "Games-appropriate accommodation".

"The final preparations are all on track and progressing smoothly ahead of what promises to be the most spectacular Asian Games held for generations, " their statement read.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino informed AFP that while all the country's athletes have secured a bed, some office-holders and coaches were staying in "different hotels and Airbnb".

In short, tall athletes can' t stretch their legs in container beds at Asian Games, is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.