Officials defend using temporary containers, cruise ship as lodging at Asian Games

NAGOYA, Japan — The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is attempting to quell complaints about lodging for athletes and officials at the Asian Games, which includes the use of converted wooden containers. The OCA said Friday that all “17,000-plus athletes and officials” that registered by the entry deadline in July have been provided “games-appropriate accommodation.” The games open officially on Saturday and run through Oct. 4 in and around the central city of Nagoya, and feature at least 11,000 athletes, more than the Summer Olympics. They showcase 43 sports and 45 countries and regions. Japanese officials decided against building a dedicated athletes villages and opted for accommodations on a cruise ship, in hotel rooms and in temporary wood containers. Several countries have complained openly about the lodging, some basketball players have said the beds are too short, and hundreds of athletes had to be evacuated last week after heavy rainfall in the region. “We don’t want to leave a white elephant after the games here," Tayyab Ikram, deputy chairman of the Olympic Council of