Tall athletes can't stretch their legs in container beds at Asian Games, official says

Tall athletes cannot fully extend their legs in container beds at the Asian Games, an official says

These container homes are set to accommodate about 2,000 athletes at the Asian Games in Japan.

Wooden container huts intended for thousands of athletes have drawn intense criticism ahead of the opening of Japan’s Asian Games on Saturday.

Jung Jae-yong, vice-president of the Korea Basketball Association, told AFP news agency that the lodging was the “worst it has ever been”.

“Athletes who are over two metres (6ft 7in) tall cannot even stretch their legs out on the beds. It’s unreasonable.”

The Games, taking place in Nagoya and the wider Aichi prefecture, have faced weeks of concern over a possible bed shortage. More than 17,000 athletes and officials are attending, surpassing the original expectation of 15,000.

The containers, which will house around 2,000 of the guests and are designed to be reused as disaster evacuation facilities, have been hit by complaints.

A member of the South Korea basketball team posted a video showing a leaking pipe and a soaked floor in his room, with the caption: “Please help me.”

Athletes were also briefly evacuated from the containers when record rainfall hit Nagoya last week and triggered widespread flooding. Water leakage was also reported at some competition venues.

Jung, the basketball official, told AFP that worries about accommodation were also shared by representatives from other countries at the Games.

Indian authorities have built replicas of the huts to help their athletes get used to living in them.

Accommodation manager Yuta Matsuo told Reuters that the hosts were “fully aware of the dissatisfaction and concerns voiced by the athlete delegations”.

They were “taking concrete steps to improve the environment for the athletes”, he said.

Along with the container huts, thousands of athletes will stay aboard this Italian cruiseliner.

Unlike the Olympic Games, where there is usually a dedicated athletes’ village, organisers have chosen temporary accommodation for competitors.

In addition to the container huts, between 4,000 and 5,000 participants will stay on an Italian cruise ship that docked in Nagoya on Tuesday. The remaining attendees will stay in hotels.

At first, 15,000 athletes and officials were expected to attend the Games.

But in mid-August, the Olympic Council of Asia said the figure would be closer to 17,000 after teqball - which combines elements of football and table tennis - and padel were added.

Hideaki Omura, president of the organising committee and Governor of Aichi Prefecture, had previously said authorities had allocated a budget for 15,000 people and had “neither the manpower nor the budget to make the necessary arrangements” for the extra athletes.

“There is simply nowhere for them to stay. If they still wish to come, they will have to make their own arrangements.”

However, last month organisers and the Olympic Council of Asia said all “17,000-plus” athletes and officials who had registered before the July deadline had been given “Games-appropriate accommodation”.

“The final preparations are all on track and progressing smoothly ahead of what promises to be the most spectacular Asian Games held for generations,” their statement said.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino told AFP that while all of the country’s athletes had secured a bed, some officials and coaches were staying in “different hotels and Airbnb”.

Although basketball and football matches have already begun, the Asian Games officially start on Saturday and end on 4 October.