Central Japanese city of Nagoya, the venue of the upcoming Asian Games, was hit by extensive flooding after record rain fell in parts of the city on Tuesday. It resulted in flooding dozens of roads and homes, and stranding pedestrians and vehicles.

However, the athletes who had arrived early for the Asian Games were unharmed, mayor Ichiro Hirosawa said on Wednesday. “We are not worried about the conditions of the venues and we believe there is no problem holding the Asian Games as planned,” Hirosawa told reporters as per AP.

Hirosawa said about 400 athletes and staff who are staying in converted shipping containers — remodeled to serve as temporary housing units for the Asian Games — were briefly evacuated to higher ground during the heavy rain. He added there were a number of leaking roofs but nothing more serious around the dozens of Games venues.

On Tuesday, The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) organised a send-off ceremony for the 503-member India contingent, with several athletes and teams in attendance. Several prominent names and teams, including members of the hockey squads and top track-and-field athletes, were absent from the function as they have either already reached the Games venue or are in the final stages of their preparations. At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, India won a record 107 medals, including 28 gold.

The Asian Games, an event with more athletes than the Summer Olympics, open Sept. 19 in Nagoya and surrounding areas and run through Oct. 4.

More than 11,000 athletes are signed up from 45 countries and regions in Asia. By comparison, about 10,700 athletes participated in the Summer Olympics in 2024 in Paris.

Meanwhile, in a bid to keep costs low, the organisers of the Aichi-Nagoya Games have done away with a conventional ‘athletes village’. Instead, the 17,000-odd athletes taking part will be provided with three accommodation options — a cruise ship, hotel rooms, and containers.

(With agency inputs)