The Costa Serena, an Italian cruise vessel, has officially arrived in Nagoya, Japan to serve as temporary housing for the upcoming Asian Games. The ship will accommodate approximately 5,000 officials and athletes during the 16-day sporting event, which begins this Saturday and concludes on October 4.
With no traditional athletes’ village constructed for the games, organizers have implemented an unconventional accommodation strategy utilizing the cruise ship alongside hotels and repurposed shipping containers to house over 11,000 competitors. This number surpasses the approximately 10,700 athletes who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The total participant count may approach the 12,000 athletes who took part in the previous Asian Games held in Hangzhou three years ago.
To manage space constraints, organizers plan to coordinate staggered arrivals and departures among participating teams. Athletes competing in earlier events will depart the facilities, making room for those competing in later competitions. The Asian Games, which first took place in New Delhi in 1951, brings together 45 countries and regions competing across 43 sports, combining traditional Olympic disciplines with regionally specific competitions.
At Tuesday’s welcome ceremony, Costa Serena Captain Federico Sias emphasized the vessel’s role as more than mere lodging, describing it as a space where Asian delegations can gather and foster international friendship and unity.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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