IOC chief Coventry approves placement of Asian Games participants in barracks and on a ship
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry has voiced support for stranded Asian Games organisers, saying she was impressed by the living conditions of athletes in Japan's Nagoya despite criticism from rivals
Several athletes taking part in the Asian Games, which began in the Japanese city of Nagoya, complained to the media and in their social networks about the cramped living quarters and small beds. However, the head of the IOC Kirsty Coventry, having examined the living conditions at the Garden Pier, unanimously approved these conditions: “The cabins are quiet and very cool. The air conditioning works well. The floor and the walls are gorgeous, Coventry told reporters after visiting the vessel that housed the athletes.
It's better than some of the Olympic villages I've ever stayed in. So to be fair to Japan and the organizing committee, I was really impressed with the conditions. I just read the negative feedback that was said and expected something completely different when I got here. And I hope that you too will be able to verify that this is absolutely not the case, added the top official in the sports world.
Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion, also said this is not the first time athletes have been housed in such modular designs, although they are slightly smaller than those used at the Winter Olympics in Italy earlier this year. We had even smaller cabins in 2000, at my very first Olympic Games in Australia. This is not a new concept of placing athletes in major competitions and I don’t really care about their appearance.
According to the head of the IOC, the main priority should remain to ensure that participants received a generally positive impression: I think athletes expect us to meet a minimum level of standards, right? And we will always try to work to achieve that, Kirsty added.
The 20th Asian Games will run from September 19 to October 4, 2026. The first medals were awarded today, September 20. The main venues were the city of Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, but the geography of the Games expanded to include facilities in Tokyo, Osaka, Shizuoka and Gifu. It was the third Asian Summer Games in Japanese history. The country previously hosted the tournament in 1958 in Tokyo and in 1994 in Hiroshima.
The organizers of the competitions position the current event under the concept of “Harmonious Heartbeat”, which should symbolize the unity of the hearts of athletes across the continent.
