Nagoya, Japan, April 30, 2025: Sports officials believe athletes are in for a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience when they stay on a cruise ship during the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in 2026.
Having decided against building a designated Asian Games Village due to construction costs, organising committee AINAGOC will lease a cruise ship docked at Kinjo Pier in Nagoya Port as a floating village.
Participants at the 1st Technical Delegates Meeting at the Nagoya Tokyu Hotel on Wednesday heard that the cruise ship would provide accommodation for 4,600 people during the 20th Asian Games. Athletes from 20 sports whose competition venues are close to Nagoya Port will be accommodated in the liner.
Max Mager, Technical Delegate for BMX Racing, said his athletes would be in for a treat by staying on the ocean liner.
“It’s always good to have something unique,” he said. “This has never been done before in the Asian Games – to have a cruise ship docked in the port as the Asian Games Village.
“I think it will be very exciting for the athletes – a once in a lifetime experience, maybe. It will be very interesting, and I fully support the idea.”
The Singaporean added that, provided the ship offered the usual village services such as catering, a gymnasium and storage for equipment, then the athletes would have no problems staying on the liner.
Beatrice Alfred Lajawa, Technical Delegate for Cycling Mountain Bike, also said there were many positives to come out of a floating Asian Games village.
“I think it will be a unique experience for the athletes. It will give them a good opportunity to mingle with athletes from other disciplines rather than staying in a hotel,” she said.
Organising committee AINAGOC provided Technical Delegates with a list of sports whose athletes will be accommodated on the cruise ship. The sports are: archery, basketball 3x3, canoe/kayak (sprint), cycling – mountain bike, cycling – BMX Racing, football (men), gymnastics, handball, judo, kabaddi, kurash, mixed martial arts, rowing, rugby, sepaktakraw, sport climbing, squash, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.
The cruise ship housing 4,600 people and Asian Games Villas (temporary container homes) for 2,400 participants at Garden Pier will form the two elements of the Asian Games Athletes’ Plaza, connected by a 15-minute shuttle bus ride over 6.5km.