Tall athletes' feet hang over small beds at Asian Games

Did you know that Olympic and sports teams sometimes sleep in beds made from wood instead of metal? At the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, something unusual is happening with the athlete beds.

South Korea sent many of its best players to the games. These players are tall and strong. But when they arrived at their rooms, they found a problem. The beds are made from wooden containers. The containers are small. Tall athletes cannot stretch their legs at night. Their feet hang over the edge. This is not comfortable.

The South Korean team is upset. Good sleep is very important for athletes. When players cannot sleep well, they do not play well. Tired athletes make more mistakes. They run slower. They think less clearly. Sleep helps the body get strong again after hard exercise.

Other teams might have the same problem. Tall basketball players and volleyball players need long beds. But these wooden container beds are short and fixed. They do not change size. The games organizers built these beds to save money and space. But they did not think about very tall athletes.

Some people say the organizers should have planned better. They should have measured tall players first. Other people think athletes should bring their own beds or pillows to make the bed longer and more comfortable.

This is a real problem for sports. Athletes work hard for many years to reach the games. Then they arrive tired and want to rest. But the beds do not fit their bodies. Do you think the organizers should fix this before more teams arrive?

Inspired by reporting from BBC News.