Not Hotel, But Containers? No Athletes' Village Dining Hall, "Sushi Served Almost Once a Day"

An Asian Games in Nagoya Without an Athletes' Village
Japanese Organizers Abandon Plan for Village Due to Costs
4,000 Athletes on a Cruise Ship, 2,000 in Containers
India Installs Identical Containers at Training Centers

The Indian delegation participating in the Asian Games has begun adaptation training in accommodations converted from shipping containers. This comes after the host country, Japan, decided not to build an athletes' village, citing cost and other considerations.

Container-type accommodation prepared by the Indian national team for local adaptation ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Indian Sports Authority of India (SAI) Ex...

On September 4 (local time), Indian media outlet The Indian Express reported, "The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has converted shipping containers into accommodations at its training centers in Patiala, Punjab, and Bengaluru, providing them to national team athletes."

The decision by the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee not to build an athlete village was made in October 2023. At the time, Yasuhiro Nakamori, Acting Secretary-General of the Organizing Committee, told international sports outlet Inside the Games, "We will not construct an athletes' village for the duration of the Games; instead, we will use existing hotels." This decision was due to a surge in operating costs and reduced preparation time caused by the postponement of the Hangzhou Games by one year because of COVID-19.

The athletes will be divided into three groups: 4,000 will stay on the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena, 2,000 will be accommodated in container-type modular lodgings, and the remaining athletes will stay in regular city hotels, including in Tokyo, where swimming and equestrian events will be held. There will also be no dedicated dining hall for the athletes' village. Most competition venues will be existing facilities, with the newly constructed Nagoya Arena (for basketball and judo) being the only exception.

On the 18th of last month, the Asian Games torch was lit in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Xinhua News Agency

As the number of participants exceeded the originally expected 15,000, the organizing committee faced capacity challenges even before the opening. Some members of the organizing committee's leadership said that "some participants may have to arrange their own accommodations at their own expense," causing controversy. Hideaki Omura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture and Chair of the Organizing Committee, stated that "additional attendees exceed the agreed-upon scale," and Ichiro Hirosawa, Mayor of Nagoya, also expressed reluctance, citing time, facilities, and budget constraints. However, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the organizing committee explained on August 28 that they have decided to accommodate all participants.

With the expectation that on-site living would not be easy, the Indian national team began preparations early. After inspecting temporary accommodation options in Japan and confirming the facilities, equipment containers originally purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic for storage were brought out and converted to resemble the anticipated arrangements. Each container measures 40 feet (approximately 12.2 meters) in length and 8 feet (about 2.4 meters) in width, and comes equipped with air conditioning, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and beds. So far, nine athletes have stayed there. The training center's meal plan has also been adapted to Japanese cuisine; The Indian Express reported that "sushi is served almost once a day."

India's national discus thrower, Seema Punia, said, "On the first night, I couldn't sleep well. I thought there would be an athletes' village since the Asian Games is such a large event," but added, "We have to adapt, because our goal is to win medals." Shot put national team member Tejinder Pal Singh said, "I remember my university days, sharing a dormitory room with four or five other students," adding, "Preparing oneself for challenges ahead is important for all athletes. Trying to become accustomed to the containers is part of that process."

Meanwhile, India is sending 503 athletes and 256 officials to this event. At the 2022 Hangzhou Games, India secured 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze medals, ranking fourth overall behind China, Japan, and South Korea. In total, India has won 778 medals throughout its Asian Games history.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.