Asian Games organizers, OCA say accommodation secured despite entry surge
Summary
Asian Games organizers in Japan and the Olympic Council of Asia said on Friday that accommodation has been secured for all 17,000-plus registered athletes and officials. The joint statement followed Reuters reports that organizers were discussing ways to reduce participant numbers after entries exceeded the projected 15,000. The Games are scheduled for Nagoya and the Aichi region from September 19 to October 4. Organizers said preparations remained on track despite concerns over the surge.
Key Facts
- The OCA said last week that entries had risen to around 17,000, including 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials.
- The Games are scheduled to be held in Nagoya and the Aichi region from September 19 to October 4.
- Organizers plan to house participants in hotels, temporary wooden accommodation in Nagoya, and aboard the Costa Serena cruise ship rather than in a traditional athletes’ village.
Members of the Korean national swimming team train at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, Aug. 25, during a media day hosted by the Korea Swimming Federation ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Yonhap
Asian Games organizers in Japan and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on Friday that accommodation had been secured for all 17,000-plus athletes and officials registered before the close of entries in July.
The joint statement from the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee and the OCA came two days after organisers told Reuters they were in talks on ways to reduce participant numbers after registrations rose well above the projected 15,000.
"All the 17,000-plus athletes and officials that are registered for the Asian Games before the closing of entry by name in July have been provided with Games-appropriate accommodation," the statement said.
"Unless there are exceptional circumstances, no further registrations have been or will be permitted."
The OCA said last week that entries had risen to around 17,000, including 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials, for the Games scheduled to be held in Nagoya and the Aichi region from September 19 to October 4.
The increase had raised concerns about accommodation, with the Games set to house competitors and officials in hotels, temporary wooden accommodation in Nagoya and aboard the Costa Serena cruise ship rather than in a traditional athletes' village.
Earlier this week, Games organizing committee head Hideaki Ohmura said the organisers had budgeted for 15,000 participants, a figure specified in the host city agreement.
"If that number (15,000) is exceeded, there is little we can do. We physically lack the accommodation space ... If they intend to come regardless, they will simply have to find a way to manage it themselves," Ohmura told reporters on Tuesday.
Ohmura, who is also governor of Aichi Prefecture, said the addition of sports such as padel and teqball had created extra demands on organisers, with the respective Asian and Japanese federations helping to organise and fund those competitions.
Despite concerns over rising participant numbers, the OCA and organisers said preparations remained on track for the Games.
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