Organizers of the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to open on September 19 in Nagoya and Aichi, Japan, are facing a severe accommodation shortage for participating athletes and officials. With only weeks remaining before the competition, the local organizing committee says it lacks the lodging capacity, budget and manpower to handle thousands of additional people.

Organizing committee president and Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura said extra members would have to arrange their own accommodation if they still wished to attend. Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa also described managing the added pressure within a limited budget as extremely difficult. The issue has drawn discussion in international sports circles ahead of the Games.

About 15,000 athletes and officials were initially expected, but the Olympic Council of Asia said attendance could rise to nearly 17,000, including 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials. New sports such as teqball and padel have contributed to the increase. To reduce costs, organizers did not build a separate athletes' village, instead arranging lodging on cruise ships, in temporary container-style rooms and at hotels across the city.