IOC chief impressed with Asian Games accommodation despite criticism

NAGOYA, Japan- International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry threw her weight behind the beleaguered Asian Games organizers on Sunday, saying she was impressed with the athletes' accommodation in Nagoya despite criticism from some competitors.

Japanese organizers scrapped initial plans for a dedicated Athletes' Village in an effort to control costs, opting instead to house 17,000 athletes and officials across hotels, shipping-container-style huts and a cruise ship.

Several athletes have complained about cramped living quarters and undersized beds, but Coventry gave the facilities a resounding thumbs-up after inspecting the accommodation at Garden Pier.

"The cabins are quiet, they're very cool. The air conditioning is working well. The flooring and the walls are beautiful," Coventry told reporters afterwards.

"It's better than some of the (athletes') villages I've ever stayed in. So I think to be very fair to Japan and to the organising committee, I was really impressed.

"I'd only been reading everything that had been said, and I was expecting something completely different to when I walked in. And I hope that you guys will get to experience the same thing."

Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion, said this was not the first time athletes had been housed in such modular setups even though these were slightly smaller than the cabins used in Milano Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year.

"We had cabins in 2000, my very first (Olympic) Games in Australia. It's not a new concept. I'm not necessarily concerned about the look."

The overarching priority remained ensuring that competitors enjoyed a positive overall experience, the Zimbabwean added.

"I think what athletes expect from us is that there needs to be a minimum level of standards, right? And we're going to try and work with everybody to do that."

Reporting by Ian Ransom in Nagoya; writing by Amlan Chakraborty; editing by Lincoln Feast/Reuters