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All aboard as Asian Games preparations enter 'final stages'
Organizers said 4,000 to 5,000 athletes will stay on a cruise ship and 2,000 more in container-style huts to cut costs.
On Tuesday, Japanese sprinter Yoshihide Kiryu lit the torch at Tokyo's National Stadium, officially launching the countdown to the 20th Asian Games. "I will carry the flame entrusted to us and run in a way that can empower the next generation," Kiryu said.
Flames from Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Nagoya will combine on Saturday to officially start the relay, using the historic cauldron previously featured at the 1958 Asian Games and 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
To reduce costs, organizers hired the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena to house between 4,000 and 5,000 athletes, with a further 2,000 officials staying in wooden huts at Garden Pier.
About 15,000 competitors and officials are expected across 43 sports in Aichi Prefecture, featuring rising stars including Philippine tennis player Alexandra Eala, 15-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi.
Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura stated the event aims to "reaffirm Asian unity and peace through sports," while Kazuhiro Yagi, vice-secretary general of the organizing committee, told AFP preparations are entering their final stages.