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Asian Games 2018: Overcapacity forces relocation of 348 athletes to nearby hotels
A total of 348 athletes from Indonesia and abroad have been relocated from the Jakabaring athletes village to nearby hotels as a result of overcapacity
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total of 348 athletes from Indonesia and abroad have been relocated from the Jakabaring athletes village to nearby hotels as a result of overcapacity. The number of athletes who will be staying in hotels is likely to grow.
Athlete coordinator at the Jakabaring athletes village Peter Taslim said the relocation was necessary because the athletes village could no longer accept new members.
“We didn’t see this coming. That is why we saw no other option but to relocate them to nearby hotels,” Peter told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
The housing village comprises 1,137 rooms that can accommodate 3,368 people. So far, 248 Indonesian athletes and 100 foreign athletes from Qatar, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Macau and Singapore have been relocated.
Indonesian athletes from women’s soccer, shooting, tennis and women’s volleyball were transferred to two downtown hotels, the Horizon and the Zuri. The organizer sent 85 athletes to the Horizon and 163 to the Zuri.
Commenting on the relocation, Indonesia women’s soccer player Zahra Muzdalifah said the decision to relocate them was not ideal as they needed to feel the atmosphere of competition at the athletes village. Staying in a hotel, she said, was a huge setback for the soccer team.
“Living in a hotel has diminished our focus. Its relaxing ambiance is corrosive. We need to stay alert and gathering as a team in the athletes village is the only way,” Zahra said.
The Indonesian women’s soccer team will play Chinese Taipei and South Korea in its next two matches. It beat the Maldives 6-0 in its opener. For Indonesia Tennis Association deputy secretary-general and national team event manager Susan Subakti, the relocation was a smart move.
“We feel very comfortable with the relocation,” she said.
Tennis team manager Deddy Prasetyo argued the relocation was not a negative influence on the athletes’ mentality and said the team had been invited to discuss the issue before the decision was made.
“It was suggested that we relocate the athletes […] because some foreign contingents had decided to bring extra crew members with them to the venue,” he said.
Defending the organizers, Ihsan Zuyadi from the Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Committee said the relocation was made to ensure that the athletes have a comfortable stay while competing in the Games.
“We were motivated by the comfort factor. We expect the athletes to compete and stay in good condition,” he said.
