Asian Games will lodge thousands of athletes on an Italian cruise ship

The Italian cruise ship, the Costa Serena, which will house up to 5,000 officials and athletes for the Asian Games, is seen in Tokyo, Japan. (AP)

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept 15 (AP): All Aboard.

The Italian cruise ship Costa Serena, which will house up to 5,000 officials and athletes for the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, received its official welcome on Tuesday at Kinjo Pier in the host city.

The 16-day games open Saturday and run through Oct. 4.

Without a dedicated athletes’ village, officials are using the cruise ship, hotels, and converted containers to house more than 11,000 athletes. That's more than the 10,700 athletes who attended the Paris Olympics in 2024.

"So, today our ship becomes more than a destination,” ship Captain Federico Sias said at the Tuesday ceremony. "It becomes home where athletes and guests from across Asia can come together in the spirit of friendship, mutual respect, and unity.”

Officials have not released an official count of athletes, but the number could match the 12,000 who participated in the games three years ago in Hangzhou, China.

The Asian Games, first held in 1951 in New Delhi, India, include 45 countries and regions and 43 sports - many Olympic disciplines and a few regional specialties.

To fit the limited space, many teams are expected to stagger the arrivals of athletes and officials. Athletes in early events will leave and make way for others.