Stormy waters ahead? Athletes to sleep afloat for 2026 Asian Games in Japan
From cardboard beds to cruise ships - the trend of eco-athlete villages will continue for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan
Following the backlash at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where athletes slept on cardboard beds, endured limited meat options , and suffered in sweltering heat due to a lack of air conditioning, Japan's 2026 Asian Games is stirring up its own storm of controversy.
But as recent experiences have shown, innovation doesn't always translate into comfort or safety.
As major sporting events grow in scale and visibility, cities around the world are racing to show off their green credentials by offering eco-conscious and unconventional housing for athletes.
Reset restore all settings to the default values Done
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Organisers have announced that 4,600 athletes and officials will be accommodated on a 'floating village' - a luxury cruise ship docked at Nagoya Port.
An additional 2,400 will stay in temporary container shelters a short drive away. The rest of the approximately 15,000 participants will be spread across various sites, including Tokyo, which will host the swimming events.
Japan's typhoon season
While the floating village may appear stylish and sustainable, critics are questioning the timing: the Games will be held during Japan's notorious typhoon season, from September 19 to October 4.
With memories of Typhoon Hagibis disrupting the 2019 Rugby World Cup still fresh, many are asking whether housing athletes on water or in metal containers is truly wise, or a disaster waiting to happen.
Organisers have defended the plan as a cost-effective alternative to building a permanent athletes' village, saying the cruise ship and container sites are only ten minutes apart by shuttle bus.
The 2026 Games mark the event's return to Japan for the first time since Hiroshima in 1994.
IOL Travel
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Embracing the role of a veteran: Onthatile Zulu looks ahead to the Nations Cup
South Africa's Onthatile Zulu will bring her experience from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to the SA squad that will take part in the FIH Nations Cup 2 in Poland later this month. | AFP Image: Juien de Rosa/AFP SA hockey star Onthatile Zulu is looking forward to her first big tournament experience since the Paris Olympics, as she embraces her role as one of the veterans in a young national team brimming with exciting talent. The SA women's national hockey team is gearing up for the FIH Women's Hockey Nations Cup 2 tournament in Poland from June 16 to 22 that includes Uruguay, Malaysia and hosts Poland. It is a platform for emerging national teams to showcase their talent on the international stage, with the opportunity to gain promotion to the FIH Nations Cup. 'Preparations are going well. Although I haven't been centralised with the team, playing league games weekly and training have helped me prepare physically and mentally,' said the 25-year-old hockey player who is based in Cape Town. 'I'm excited to head to an international competition, especially since the last big tournament dynamic I experienced was at the Olympic Games in Paris last year.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading That was a second Olympic Games, the other being Tokyo, for a player whose storied hockey journey has also taken her to a World Cup and Commonwealth Games. 'The Olympic experience has elevated my game and experience. Competing against the best allows you to perform better and has greatly enhanced my knowledge of the game and tactics,' she said. She admits that being one of the senior members of the team brings with it extra responsibility, 'but the most important thing for me is to do my best for the team and lead by example on the field'. Her 64 caps is second only to Quanita Bobbs (180) in a squad where three players – Cerian Fourie, Daniela de Oliveira and Shanna Mendonca – will be in line to make their debuts. Three others have less than 20 caps. Fellow Paris 2024 Olympians such as Edith Molikoe, Hannah Pearce, Ntsopa Mokoena, and Ongeziwe Mali also add valuable experience to head coach Inky Zondi's team. Zulu fondly recalls the role players like Celia Seerane, Lilian du Plessis and Erin Christie played in supporting her as a young player coming through the ranks and is ready to pay it forward. 'I've learnt that nothing will be given to you; you need to work hard for the team to add value and contribute to its success. Playing with pride for my country is also a big lesson I aim to pass on,' she said. Hockey has been a significant part of Zulu's life since she first stepped onto the field at 6 years old, and she has been representing South Africa since 2019. Hockey star Onthatile Zulu is gearing up for the HYROX Cape Town race next month. Image: Red Bull
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Rugby World Cup 1995: How Os Du Randt went from unknown to cornerstone of the Springboks' triumph
South Africa scrum coach Os du Randt has insisted the world champions can bounce back from their shock 21-17 loss to Scotland. South Africa scrum legend Os du Randt has a special place in Springbok history. | Archives A year out from the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Os du Randt was a 21-year-old diesel mechanic. He did not have the faintest clue that months later he would be wearing a World Cup-winners medal. How did he go from rugby unknown to anchor of the Springboks' World Cup-winning scrum? Let's look at the making of a Bok legend. Pieter du Randt was a farm boy from remote Elliot in the Eastern Cape, the same rural town that produced Mark Andrews, Du Randt's tight-five teammate in the '95 team. Natural strength ran in the Du Randt family. It was developed by tough, physical labour on the land the family has farmed for generations. Handling livestock and hauling bags of mealies around was part of a day's work. That was the young Os' 'gym' workout. He has said that his family didn't have a television until he was 13 and PlayStation-type games were banned by parents who preferred a more old-fashioned way of life. Instead, Os amused himself outdoors with his brothers— fishing, hunting, and climbing trees was their life. In his autobiography Os, he tells of taking apart electrical appliances to see what they looked like inside and trying to successfully put them together again. He once created his own motorbike from the scraps of broken ones. The steering didn't work too well and he sometimes crashed into the ditches of farm roads. The absence of a TV in his younger days meant he didn't get to watch much sport and while he enjoyed rugby at school, he didn't have a burning passion to become a rugby star. He says he had no sporting heroes. Os recalls that rugby grew on him as he continued to grow into, well, an ox. He hadn't been overly big at primary school, but at high school, he had a growth spurt that earned him his nickname. The story goes that a bunch of senior bullies tried to initiate him and that would include pinning him down and shaving his nether regions. They discovered that it was easier said than done because Du Randt did an impersonation of Bruce Banner and transformed into The Hulk. 'They could not pin me down,' Du Randt smiled. 'They called me an 'Os' and that has been my name ever since.' Os was at school at Adelaide Gimnasium and in 1990 played SA Schools but, curiously, fell off the rugby radar when he was called up for army national service in Bloemfontein. Du Randt's love of things mechanical was fostered at the School of Armour and after national service, he remained in Bloem and worked as an apprentice at Barlows Caterpillar, a company specialising in earth-moving equipment. It was when he was playing for the Free State under-20s that his career suddenly took off like a runaway train. He was called up to the senior Free State side when Ollie le Roux was picked for the Boks in June 1994. Os had played just nine Currie Cup games before he himself was picked for the Boks later that year when Argentina toured. He then also played on the Boks' end-of-year tour to the UK. In the space of a season, he went from the Free State Under-20s to the Cheetahs and the Boks, leapfrogging Le Roux in the latter two teams. Almost overnight, Os became a fixture in the Bok front row under Kitch Christie, who had taken over as coach in 1994 from Ian McIntosh. Kitch had listened wisely when the influential Transvaal and Bok hooker Uli Schmidt told him that he had played against this kid called Os and wanted him alongside him in the Bok front row. Schmidt didn't make it to the '95 World Cup but he was right about Os. He was just 22 when he came of age in the semi-final against France when the front row of Os, Chris Rossouw and Balie Swart held out against the fearsome French during a frantic finale of set scrums. The Bok front row did not budge, the French were kept at bay, and passage to the final against New Zealand was secured. Likewise, in the final, the unsung heroes against the All Blacks were the front row, who denied the Kiwis the solid platform that would have given the likes of Jonah Lomu dangerous front-foot ball. It is apt that Andrews, the lock who pushed behind Os in so many scrums, best sums up one of the greats of the game: 'The fact that he is larger than most other props is not the extraordinary thing about Os. At six foot three and 128kgs he was able to tackle like Henry Honiball on steroids and run and pass like a loose forward. That gave him an almost unfair advantage over his opponents. 'What makes any Test player special is his ability to do what his position requires of him, yet is consistently able to do what is not expected of him with the same ease. For me, that sums up Os.' Mike Greenaway is the author of best-selling books The Fireside Springbok and Bok to Bok.
TimesLIVE
16 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
US travel ban will not hinder Los Angeles Olympics, says LA28 CEO
US President Donald Trump's directive banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the US exempts athletes, and LA28 officials said on Thursday they were confident the Olympic Games have the full backing of the administration. Trump signed the proclamation on Wednesday as part of an immigration crackdown he said was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. "The important thing for us is the federal government and the administration recognised the importance of the Olympics," LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover told Reuters on Thursday. "There is a carve-out in the order in the travel ban that allows for and assures there will be access to the Games for the athletes and their families and officials. We will be able to have a wide-open Games." The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
