Asian Games: NSC, OCM Tackling Athlete Accommodation Issues In Aichi-Nagoya

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- The National Sports Council (NSC) and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) are taking proactive steps to resolve accommodation issues involving national karate exponents and archers ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan that begins officially on Sept 19.

The NSC said that the steps include covering the additional costs at the official hotels to ensure that the athletes’ focus and preparations are not affected.

“The issue of inadequate accommodation faced by several countries is affecting some national karate exponents scheduled to arrive on Thursday in Nagoya and has been solved after the NSC secretariat paid for additional rooms at the official hotel for five athletes without rooms.

“The organiser has yet to provide room confirmation for 16 archery officials and athletes. To ensure the focus of athletes are not affected, the NSC has made bookings for 11 rooms at another hotel and will cover the costs, including transportation costs to contest venues if the organiser does not inform their accommodation status by the time they arrive on Sept 24,” the NSC said in a statement today.

The national women’s basketball, women’s cricket, equestrian as well as the men’s and women’s hockey teams and officials have arrived in Aichi, Nagoya and Tokyo and all of them have accommodation prepared by the organiser, the council said, adding that they have also been given raincoats due to uncertain weather in Aichi and Nagoya.

On top of the disaster safety standard operating procedures (SOP) provided by the organiser, the council’s secretariat has also prepared its own safety SOPs for athletes.

The council also shared that the officials have contacted the organiser to ensure that food and drink for national athletes are halal, it added.

“The secretariat does bring ‘ready to eat’ meals as a precautionary measure if any athlete requires it and to tackle food poisoning,” it said, and to avoid any possible issues with transport, the NSC has identified potential transport service providers that athletes can use.

-- BERNAMA