Beds too short, Asia’s worst gaming rooms: South Korea criticizes facilities in Japan
As the Asian Games are set to officially open in Japan this week, concerns are mounting over accommodation, with South Korean officials describing the facilities as the worst they have encountered and warning that rooms are in critical shortage, according to an AFP report.
The games, which are being held in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, will officially begin on Saturday, although soccer and basketball competitions are already underway.
The organizers decided against building a specialized village for athletes for action. Instead, participants are housed in a variety of facilities, including temporary log cabins, hotels and cruise ships, as part of an effort to keep costs low.
The South Korean men’s basketball team emerged as one of the delegations most dissatisfied with the measures. Jung Jae-yong, vice president of the Korea Basketball Association, criticized the temporary booths assigned to the team, saying they were unsuitable for some players.
“In my experience, it’s the worst it’s ever been,” he said.
“Athletes who are over two meters tall can’t even stretch their legs on the bed. It’s unreasonable.”
The problems inside the cabins were also highlighted by basketball player Byeon Jun-hyeong, who shared a video online showing a leaking sink that left the floor of his cabin soaked.
He posted the caption: “Please help us.”
Around 2,000 athletes and officials are expected to stay in cabins throughout the more than two-week Games. Concerns about the facilities have also hit India, where sports authorities have reportedly built replica cabins to help athletes prepare for the conditions they will encounter in Japan.
Jung said South Korean officials have raised the issue but have yet to hear back from the organizers.
“The organizers still haven’t said anything,” Jung said.
“We are very concerned and are in extensive discussions with the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee on what to do about it.”
The situation was further complicated by the extreme weather in Nagoya. Hundreds of athletes were temporarily evacuated from their accommodation last week after record rainfall hit the city, with more rain forecast in the coming days.
More than 17,000 athletes and officials are expected to participate in the Asian Games, a number higher than the Olympic Games. Organizers originally planned for around 15,000 participants and admitted last month that the growing numbers had created considerable logistical pressure.
They said they had “neither the manpower nor the budget” to handle the surge in expected attendees. The Olympic Council of Asia later intervened to assure delegations that accommodation would be provided for everyone attending the Games.
However, concerns remain, particularly regarding the availability of quality hotels, with several leading cricketers also expressing concerns about the lack of accommodation at the highest level.
A South Korean Olympic Committee official admitted that the situation remains difficult with the Games just days away.
“There is currently 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 fix the problem and make sure there are no more problems like this.”
The Philippines also had to find alternative arrangements for parts of its delegation. Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham Tolentino said all the country’s athletes have been provided with rooms, although some support staff members have been moved elsewhere.
But “some officials, like coaches, have been moved to other hotels and Airbnb.”
Organizers did not immediately respond to AFP when asked for comment about the accommodation concerns.
The Italian cruise ship Costa Serena is expected to arrive in Nagoya on Tuesday and will be one of the key accommodation facilities during the Games, with 4,000 to 5,000 athletes expected to stay on board.
Other participants will be accommodated in hotels, including in Tokyo, where swimming, diving and horse riding competitions are held.
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Published on:
14 Sep 2026 16:39 IST