Accommodation problems are continuing to disrupt preparations for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games while the official opening ceremony is just two days away. It has come to light that the host nation’s own team is now looking at alternative arrangements after male and female athletes were assigned shared rooms.
Japanese officials reported cases in which room allocations were made purely by numbers, resulting in men and women being placed together, coaches sharing with athletes, and trainers required to room with others despite needing space for medical equipment. The Japanese Olympic Committee said it is coordinating adjustments and may use pre-booked hotel rooms as a backup.
Japan’s Asian Games team seeks alternative housing amid mixed-gender room assignments
Organisers decided against building a traditional athletes’ village, citing costs and environmental considerations. Instead, more than 17,000 athletes and officials are being housed across a cruise ship, temporary container-style units and hotels after participant numbers rose from an initial estimate of around 15,000.
The issues have drawn complaints from several delegations, including reports of cramped conditions, short beds and water leaks in some temporary facilities. Organisers have described the accommodation as functional and said they are addressing individual concerns as they arise. Japan's deputy Chef de Mission Hisashi Mizutori told a news conference:
"There have been cases where coaches, team officials, and athletes have been assigned to the same room.”
Mizutori further added:
“There are also situations where room assignments were made purely based on the numbers, such as assigning five twin rooms for a group of five men and five women.”
Meanwhile, the Asian Games are set to begin on September 19, Saturday. India has already kicked off its campaign with the newly introduced sport of teqball, where three Indian athletes will take part.
ALSO READ: India kicks off Asian Games 2026 campaign TODAY; full schedule & key players