Tokyo: Indians living in Japan are standing by to house the country's athletes at the Asian Games if accommodation shortages continue, officials have said.

Asia's biggest sporting event opens officially in Nagoya and Aichi prefecture, but the build-up has been dogged by problems. To save money, Japan decided against having an athletes' village, with organisers choosing to put up competitors in a combination of hotel rooms, temporary wooden container-style huts, and on a cruise ship.

However, many of the 17,000 athletes and officials have been unhappy with their allocated temporary accommodation, saying rooms have no storage space for kit and the beds are too small. India, which is sending almost 500 athletes, has moved some from the huts into hotels and put contingency plans in place.

"We have booked hotels for our athletes here," Sahdev Yadav, India's chef de mission at the Asian Games and the Indian Olympic Association's treasurer, told AFP. "But if the hotel rooms fall short, then yes, we have Indian households here on standby to accommodate the athletes. They are all more than happy to welcome the stars at their homes."

Reports said the Indian embassy in Japan had helped reach out to around 2,000 families in Nagoya, some of whom are prepared to help. Organisers said the accommodation was safe, cost-effective, and comfortable, adding that Japan should be applauded for trying to do something different.

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