Asian Games organisers looking to reduce numbers as registrations exceed target

Asian Games organisers in Japan said on Wednesday they are looking to reduce the number of participants at next month's event after athlete and official registrations blew ‌past ⁠the projected ⁠15,000.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said last week entries had risen to around 17,000, including 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials, for the Games scheduled to be held in Nagoya and ⁠the Aichi ‌region from September 19 to October 4.

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The overshoot could strain ⁠accommodation plans for the Games, which will ​not feature a traditional athletes' ​village. Instead, organisers plan to house competitors and officials in hotels, temporary wooden accommodation in Nagoya, and on the Costa Serena cruise ship.

"It ‌is true that the number of registrations has exceeded 15,000 ​and ​we are ⁠trying to trim the excess numbers," the organising committee told Reuters. "We are in talks ​with the OCA for a solution."

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