China table tennis stars describe Asian Games cruise ship living as a ‘unique’ experience
Sun Yingsha, Wang Chuqin and Wang Manyu have adapted to living aboard the Costa Serena, but arrangements have descended into chaos for others
Just one day before the official opening of the Asian Games, chaotic accommodation arrangements have surfaced on the cruise ship hosting athletes in Nagoya, with Chinese table tennis stars including Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin describing living on board as a “unique” experience.
On Thursday, the Chinese table tennis team held their first practice session in Nagoya following a rocky arrival that significantly compressed their training and rest schedule.
The team also had to quickly adapt to living aboard the Costa Serena cruise ship, which serves as the offshore athletes’ village.
“This is genuinely the first time in my life living on a ship,” Wang told CCTV after his first training session in Japan. “It’s docked at the pier and the ship is large, so it feels fine with little swaying; it’s quite unique. Because the rooms are close together and there are many people, it feels different from staying in a hotel.”