Asian Games chaos? Athletes face long waits, accommodation woes in Japan

Nagoya, Japan: The Asian Games in Japan faced fresh criticism over organisational problems on Friday, with athletes reporting long delays and accommodation issues, while South Korea lodged a complaint over the appearance of a Japanese warlord at a welcoming ceremony.

The continent's biggest multi-sport event opens in Nagoya and Aichi prefecture on Saturday, but a series of problems have overshadowed the build-up.

More than 17,000 athletes and officials are expected to take part, creating a demand for accommodation that has already proved challenging. Some teams have also raised concerns about the quality of their lodgings, including beds that are reportedly too short.

In an effort to reduce costs, organisers have not created a traditional athletes' village. Instead, participants are being housed across hotels, temporary cabins and a cruise ship.

Organisers have defended the arrangements, saying the accommodation is safe, cost-effective and comfortable.

But Chinese gymnast Zhang Boheng, a two-time world champion who won two silver medals at the Paris Olympics, said he and several teammates spent six hours waiting after arriving in Japan on Wednesday.

"I'm totally exhausted," he said in a video published Thursday and widely circulated on Chinese social media.

"I didn't expect that after breakfast at 7:00 am the next time I could eat would be close to 7:00 pm," the 26-year-old said.

Zhang said the delay was linked to registration and paperwork. The athletes then travelled to a cruise ship in Nagoya's port area, which is expected to accommodate about 4,000 Games participants.

However, heavy rain prevented them from boarding when they reached the vessel, he said.

"A whole day was basically wasted like this," added Zhang.

"In the end we really couldn't take it any more so we decided to book rooms at a hotel to rest."

The video was later removed, but Chinese state media reported that other members of the country's delegation had also experienced delays after arriving in Japan.

Beijing's consulate in Nagoya contacted Chinese citizens in the area to help transport members of the badminton team after problems involving a shuttle bus and a shortage of public transport tickets, state-run Xinhua reported.

Chinese social media users also praised athletes, including table tennis star Sun Yingsha, after images showed them stretching and exercising while waiting at the airport.

The hashtag "Asian Games absurd" has received more than 94 million views on Weibo.

India's contingent also faced delays at the airport.

"There was an issue in getting accreditation for athletes at the airport during immigration. There were long queues with a lot of other nations there," India's chef de mission and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) treasurer Sahdev Yadav told AFP.

"But these things happen and we have got everything sorted."

Warlord controversy

South Korea's athletes also encountered delays, with Yonhap reporting that some members of the delegation waited at the airport for more than five hours on Thursday.

"We are aware of the situation, including reports that athletes have had to wait for hours, and we are doing our best to handle it," a Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) official told AFP.

The KSOC also filed a complaint with Games organisers on Friday over the appearance of a Japanese warlord at a welcoming ceremony.

The ceremony on Tuesday featured a person dressed as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Japanese leader who launched invasions of Korea between 1592 and 1598. The appearance triggered criticism in South Korea.

Relations between South Korea and Japan remain sensitive over historical issues, including Hideyoshi's invasions and Japan's colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945.

Despite the organisational difficulties, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) director general Husain Al-Musallam suggested that future editions of the continental sporting event could expand further.

"I am a supporter to increase the number of athletes, not to decrease athletes," he said.

Al-Musallam acknowledged that he would have preferred an athletes' village, as used at previous editions, but said organisers also had to consider the long-term needs of the host.

"We need to listen also to the organiser, to the host, how they would look for the future, after the Games, after the closing ceremony."