Asiad 2026: Doha, Riyadh to host Games with dedicated Athletes' Village

The next two Asian Games in Doha and Riyadh will have dedicated Athletes' Village, Olympic Council of Asia Director General Husain Al Musallam declared on Friday but also defended this edition's host Japan's much-criticised decision to not have such a facility due to cost and sustainability considerations.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games, which open tomorrow, have drawn heavy criticism for accommodation chaos as athletes and officials have been scrambling to get rooms at the container-style huts and a docked cruise ship along with limited hotel rooms.

Al Musallam said the scale of the Games is massive with 17,000-plus athletes and support staff, along with another 5000 technical officials required to be accommodated.

"Asian Games cannot be compared with events of any other continental federations," the Kuwaiti said.

Asked if building an Athletes Village would have been a better idea, now that the lack of accommodation has kicked up a controversy, Musallam said, "First of all, we wish we hav