Team Singapore looking forward to Asian Games even as Nagoya faces issues

NAGOYA – Since arriving in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept 17, Singaporean wushu exponent Chia Kai Ming has been staying on a cruise ship docked at Kinjo Pier.

The 20-year-old is among 4,000 athletes and officials who will be housed on the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena for the Asian Games, held from Sept 19 to Oct 4.

Although Chia has vacationed on a cruise ship before, this is a different experience.

“It’s not my first time on a cruise, but it’s the first time having a cruise ship as an athletes’ village,” said Chia, who is competing in the men’s changquan event in his Asiad debut.

“It’s a different experience because the previous cruise trip was with my family, for a shorter distance, and I packed much less.”

This is the first time a cruise ship is being used as accommodation for a major international sporting event in Japan.

As part of the cost-saving measures, athletes are being housed on the cruise ship, as well as in temporary wooden containers and hotels.

However, complaints over accommodation woes have grown as the city has begun welcoming athletes before the Games’ official opening on Sept 19.

South Korean officials criticised the container huts, labelling them the “worst ever” and saying the beds are too short, while several countries also complained about a shortage of accommodation.

The local organising committee said the accommodation issue arose because they were expecting 15,000 athletes and officials for the Games, only for numbers to increase by about 2,000 as new sports were added.

On Sept 17, athletes and officials from a few countries were stranded at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya for several hours, after a data entry error resulted in many of them not being listed in the arrival system.

But Team Singapore athletes whom The Straits Times spoke to have not faced major issues and are excited to start their Asian Games campaign.

As at Sept 17, 102 Singaporean athletes across 11 sports had arrived in Nagoya, while 29 swimmers were in Tokyo.

The Republic will be represented by 304 athletes across 27 sports at the quadrennial event.

Chia feels he has adapted well to staying on a cruise ship, adding: “I enjoy the accessibility to a wide range of cuisines on the cruise, and also the grab-to-go support by the organisers.

“But the biggest challenge would be the space of our rooms as mine doesn’t have a window and it’s quite small.”

He said that he has to factor in extra time for his warm-up due to a 40-minute bus commute to Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall.

Other than that, his first major Games experience has been mostly positive, he said, highlighting the friendliness of the locals and volunteers he has interacted with.

Apart from logistical issues, the event has encountered problems arising from extreme weather conditions, with record rainfall forcing athletes to evacuate their accommodation briefly on Sept 8.

Rainwater also seeped into some competition venues, although organisers said there was no serious damage.

The organisers are bracing themselves for the possibility of a typhoon hitting the Aichi-Nagoya coast in the coming days as tropical storm Dujuan, which formed off Japan’s Pacific coast on Sept 17, heads north-west towards central Japan.

The authorities have a contingency plan for those on the cruise ship, which will leave the dock and move offshore to safer waters should the winds reach typhoon strength.

Tremors were felt in Tokyo early on Sept 17, after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 hit Ibaraki prefecture, north-east of Japan’s capital, which will host the swimming, diving and equestrian competitions.

National women’s hockey team captain Sardonna Ng admitted that news of the record rainfall in Nagoya initially raised concerns among the team members, but said there has not been much to worry about since they arrived in Japan on Sept 15.

The defender, 24, said: “When we saw the news and we had briefings from our team manager, there was some anxiety in the team as we weren’t in the location yet and we saw all this news on social media. But when we touched down, everything was all right.

“Weather-wise, it’s similar to Singapore – a little bit of rain but it’s not too much of a disturbance, and accommodation-wise, I’m quite glad with it. The food is great, hospitality is great.”

The players were pleasantly surprised when they arrived at their hotels to find welcome packs on their beds containing a water bottle, a towel, a saucer and Asian Games memorabilia, including a plushie of the event mascot, Honohon.

Co-captain and Asian Games debutante Valerie Sim is looking forward to facing the continent’s best teams.

The striker, 25, said: “It’s a rare opportunity that happens once every four years, and we get the chance to play against teams like India and Japan, which will provide learning moments for us. We’ll do our best no matter who we face.”

Team Singapore chef de mission Goh Kee Nguan, who has been staying in the temporary containers since Sept 15, said the accommodation is comfortable and well-equipped.

“We will continue to stay close to our athletes, team officials and the organisers to ensure that Team Singapore are well supported throughout the Games,” Goh added.

“We are ready for the Games and look forward to welcoming the rest of Team Singapore and, most importantly, seeing our athletes compete and give their very best on the field of play.”

The 66-year-old had previously stressed that the safety of Singapore’s athletes is the priority, saying then that there are contingency plans in place to respond to emergencies, including severe weather.

One of the most memorable moments for swimmer Brandon Yap has been to visit the competition pool at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, which is the same venue that hosted the swimming competition at the Olympics in 2021.

The Asian Games debutant, 20, said: “It’s my first time swimming in such a big and nice stadium, so seeing it for the first time was quite a special feeling.

“Once the stadium is packed and everyone is cheering, the atmosphere is going to be really electrifying.”