KYODO NEWS



 

The Olympic Council of Asia has demanded that the Japanese organizers of the 2026 Asian Games make significant improvements to their preparations, sources familiar with the matter said Monday.

Aichi Prefecture and its capital, Nagoya, in central Japan, are set to cohost the next quadrennial Asian Games from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, 2026. The OCA has said that the organizing committee is not adhering to the host city contract.

The OCA has called on the committee to show improvement in more than 10 areas, such as accommodation and transportation for athletes and team staff, according to the sources.

Frustrated with the organizing committee's handling of the situation, the OCA at one point indicated the hosting rights could be revoked and, in behind-the-scenes talks, mentioned potential replacement candidates for the Japanese hosts, the sources said.

The event needs to accommodate a maximum of 15,000 athletes, including those who compete in Tokyo and other parts of Japan. Still, the committee canceled the construction of a large-scale athlete village in Aichi as part of cost-cutting measures.

 

The OCA then asked the committee to review its accommodation plans, saying at least around 7,000 should be housed in one location.

The organizers plan to have about 4,000 on a cruise ship and around 2,000 in container houses to be built along the coast.

It is feared that the total cost of hosting the Asian Games and Asian Para Games could balloon to a little more than 200 billion yen ($1.34 billion) from the initial estimate of 100 billion yen.

"Aside from accommodation plans, there are multiple things the OCA isn't happy about," one of the organizing officials said.

The OCA, the organizing committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee signed an unusual memorandum, dated last Friday, that states the organizers will abide by the host city contract.

The memorandum includes a clause that organizers may incur penalties if they do not fulfill their obligations.