*This content was translated by AI.
The Japanese women's 7s rugby national team, which won gold medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, shared candid behind-the-scenes stories about the "cruise ship lodging" that sparked controversy during the tournament.
Japanese media outlet Sponichi Annex reported on the 6th, "Japan national team head coach Kanematsu Yuka and captain Suda Michiyo held an online victory report press conference, expressing their feelings about achieving victory amid unfamiliar lodging conditions."
This Asian Games sparked controversy even before the opening ceremony, as the organizing committee dispersed athletes from various countries across a large cruise ship and prefabricated container houses instead of constructing an official athlete village. To make matters worse, transportation issues stemming from off-site lodging operations, such as delayed shuttle bus schedules and inadequate traffic control, compounded the difficulties, causing athletes from multiple countries and sports to struggle with maintaining their physical condition.
The Japanese national team staying on the cruise ship also could not entirely avoid daily inconveniences. The communication environment was the biggest problem. Captain Suda, who unfortunately was assigned a windowless room on a lower deck of the cruise ship, said, "There was no signal in my room, so I remained unable to receive messages throughout my stay," adding with a wry smile, "If I closed the door, even the Wi-Fi would cut out, leaving me as a 'Wi-Fi refugee' unable to contact my teammates." As a result, the team had to pre-download match videos for tactical analysis onto tablet PCs to watch them.
However, there were positive aspects as well. Concerns regarding meals and transportation were smoothly resolved thanks to the staff's preparations. Captain Suda expressed satisfaction, stating, "Meals were not traditional Japanese cuisine but rather a rich buffet menu tailored to the tastes of athletes from various countries and sports," adding, "A snack corner was also available for free use, which greatly helped in maintaining our stamina."
Travel to the stadium, which took approximately 30 minutes one way by bus, was also carried out smoothly without any unexpected situations such as tardiness or insufficient preparation time, thanks to the staff's thorough advance preparations.
The media outlet noted, "Despite the poor communication environment and unfamiliar life aboard the ship, the Japanese national team demonstrated their characteristic organizational strength, achieving the remarkable feat of standing at the top of the Asian Games."
Head coach Kanematsu and Captain Suda stated, "There were many external variables such as lodging and transportation, but we are proud of the players who remained unshaken by the environment and focused solely on the matches," attributing the glory of the gold medal to their teammates.
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
