Beds too short in ‘worst-ever’ Asian Games rooms, say South Korea

SEOUL – South Korea’s Olympic committee said on Sept 14 that there was “a serious shortage of accommodation” at the Asian Games starting in Japan this week, as officials from the Philippines resorted to Airbnb.

Accommodation is the “worst ever”, South Korean officials said, with beds in shipping container-style huts too short for players to stretch out.

There is no dedicated athletes’ village at the event, with organisers instead relying on a cruise ship, temporary wooden containers and hotels in a bid to cut costs.

The Games are taking place in Nagoya and the wider Aichi area, with some events like football and basketball already under way ahead of the opening ceremony on Sept 19.

Jung Jae-yong, vice-president of the Korea Basketball Association, said he was deeply unhappy with the cabins where the men’s basketball team are staying.

“Based on my experience, this is the worst it has ever been,” he said. “Athletes who are over 2m tall cannot even stretch their legs out on the beds. It’s unreasonable.”

Byeon Jun-hyeong from the basketball team posted a video on social media showing a leaking sink and soaked floor in his hut. He posted the caption: “Please help us.”

The huts are set to be home to 2,000 athletes and officials during the Sept 19 to Oct 4 Games.

Indian sports chiefs are so worried about the cabins that they built replicas to help get their athletes used to them.

Jung accused organisers of failing to respond to South Korea’s concerns.

“The organisers have still not said anything,” he said. “We are very concerned and discussing extensively with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee what to do about this.”

Hundreds of athletes were briefly evacuated from their accommodation last week as record rainfall lashed Nagoya.

More rain has been forecast in the coming days.

Serious shortage

More than 17,000 athletes and officials are expected – a bigger number than the Olympics.

Local organisers were initially expecting 15,000 and argued in August that they had “neither the manpower nor the budget” to deal with ballooning numbers.

They later issued a joint statement with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) saying that all athletes and officials registered before the July deadline would be “provided with Games-appropriate accommodation”.

But a Korean Sport & Olympic Committee official told AFP that their team had encountered problems.

“At the moment, there is a serious shortage of accommodation not only for the entire South Korean delegation to the Asian Games, but also for delegations from around the world in the Aichi-Nagoya area,” the official said.

“We are doing everything we can to resolve the issue and ensure there are no such problems.

“In any case, athletes will continue to enter and leave the country, so we will make the necessary arrangements accordingly to ensure everything proceeds without problems,” the official added.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino told AFP that all his country’s athletes had been given a bed. But “some officials, like coaches, were moved to different hotels and Airbnb”, he said.

Asian Games organisers did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

Athletes from Singapore’s 304-strong contingent are scheduled to begin competing from Sept 16, with modern pentathlete Tahir Ahmed Ansari the first in action at the Anjo Sports Park in Aichi.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) spokesperson said they have been working with the organisers to manage the accommodation arrangements for the Singapore delegation.

“We understand that AINAGOC (Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee) and OCA are reviewing the arrangements and working to meet the needs of all NOCs,” added the spokesperson.

“We are making the necessary adjustments based on the available options to ensure that our athletes and officials are appropriately accommodated and supported throughout the Games.

“We appreciate the efforts of AINAGOC, OCA and all parties involved in addressing the situation. We recognise that managing accommodation for a large number of delegations is a complex undertaking and appreciate everyone’s continued efforts to resolve the situation.”

Organisers have hired the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena for the event and it is due to arrive in Nagoya on Sept 15.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 athletes will stay on the ship. The rest will be in hotels, including in Tokyo, where swimming, diving and equestrian events will take place. AFP