NAGOYA - The Asian Games, opening on September 19, will be held without a traditional athletes village, with organizers instead planning to accommodate athletes and officials in container-style housing, a cruise ship and hotels across Nagoya and surrounding prefectures.
Many hotels in Nagoya are expected to host VIPs and other people connected to the tournament. The absence of a purpose-built athletes village is one of the defining features of the event, with organizers dividing accommodation among three main options: container houses, a cruise ship and hotels.
The container-style housing is expected to accommodate about 2,000 people during the Asian Games and about 1,000 during the Asian Para Games. The cruise ship will host about 4,000 people during the Asian Games. Hotels, mainly in Nagoya and across Aichi, Shizuoka, Gifu and Mie prefectures, are expected to accommodate about 9,000 people during the Asian Games and up to 3,000 during the Asian Para Games.
While avoiding the construction of an athletes village has advantages, some athletes have voiced concerns about differences in living conditions. One current athlete said, "I am worried there may be disparities in food and accommodation depending on where people stay."
Organizers have decided that meals will in principle be standardized and served at each accommodation site. Living conditions, however, are expected to differ depending on whether athletes stay in container-style housing, hotels or the cruise ship.
The Games will also take place during typhoon season, raising questions about what would happen if a storm surge or tsunami were to occur. The cruise ship is basically scheduled to remain docked at Nagoya Port, but organizers say it could head offshore for safety.
Because waves are generally lower offshore than in port under certain conditions, the ship may leave the harbor if necessary. That has raised concerns about seasickness and the possible impact on athletes' condition, although surveys of athletes indicate that motion sickness is not expected to be a major issue under normal circumstances.
Accommodation at hotels may also vary depending on the grade of the property. Nagoya has about 660 hotels, and while organizers have not disclosed which ones will be used for security reasons, many are expected to host people connected to the Games.
The event is expected to bring about 12,000 athletes and officials and 1.5 million spectators. For Nagoya, the Asian Games and Asian Para Games are likely to become a test of whether the city can be recognized as an international host city.
Source: CBC
