NAGOYA: Several teams on Thursday (Sep 24) criticised how the Asian Games in Japan have been organised, with Thailand likening it to a “chaotic” game of “musical chairs” and South Korea saying “they deserve a failing grade”.
The biggest issue at the Aichi-Nagoya Games has been a shortage of rooms for the 17,000 participants, while some athletes have complained of cramped accommodation.
That was compounded by delays at airports and hours-long waits to board a cruise ship acting as a floating hotel.
Erratic transport services have seen competitors’ buses to training and venues turning up late or, in some cases, not at all.
No traditional athletes’ village has been built, as a cost-cutting measure.
Teams have instead been staying in temporary container-style huts, hotels and the Costa Serena cruise ship moored in Nagoya port.
“It remains a problem from the beginning until now,” Chalitrat Chandrubeksa, deputy secretary general of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, told AFP.
“The number of (rooms available on) cruise ships and hotels does not match our actual number of athletes,” he added.
“On the peak day, we required 201 beds on the cruise ship but they provided only 170.
“When athletes checked in and found their names missing from the list, they had to be placed somewhere else and when the new athletes arrived, the previous ones had to move out and look for other hotels.
“It’s like musical chairs.”
Frustrated athletes have made their feelings known online, with complaints also about some of the food.
