Asian Games in Japan hit by accommodation crisis and athlete complaints

Japan's hosting of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has been marred by widespread complaints over accommodation and logistics, with athletes from India, South Korea and other nations reporting severe shortages, double-booked rooms and poor facilities. The organisers housed participants in hotels, a cruise ship and shipping container-style cabins after deciding not to build a dedicated athletes' village. Indian MMA fighter Varun Sanyal posted a now-deleted video saying officials could not find his name in the system and that he was assigned the same room as two other athletes after waiting for hours.

South Korea's Olympic committee said there was a serious shortage of accommodation, and the Philippines turned to Airbnb. Even Japan's own athletes sought alternative arrangements after reports of men and women being assigned shared rooms. The organisers, who initially expected 15,000 participants, later said they lacked the manpower and budget for the final count of over 17,000. They have promised Games-appropriate accommodation for all registered before the July deadline.