Asian Games | Sailors complain of dirty sea water giving them stomach cramps and diarrhoea
Sailors at the Asian Games have complained about the water in which they have been asked to play for all their events. They have stated that the water is too contaminated and they have been suffering due to stomach aches and diarrhea after swallowing dirty sea water in Jakarta.
Japan's Akira Takayanagi stated that he suffered from dire stomach aches after swallowing dirty sea water to win a gold medal at the Asian Games sailing on Friday. Takayanagi competed in the men’s 470
“I had a really bad stomach earlier in the week, probably from getting the water in my mouth,” said Takayanagi, who also developed a fever and stomach pains at the Asian sailing championships in Jakarta in June.
Gold medallist in the men’s 49er, Shingen Furuya was suffering due to severe fever and was running a temperature of close to 40C (104F) in his qualifying races. Manami Doi was feeling unwell during the final of the laser radial, where she secured the top spot.Â
Hong Kong’s Michael Cheng, who bagged a silver in the RS:X, also blamed the sea for his tummy troubles.Â
“I guess it’s the sea water here because we eat together every night [but they are not ill]. The water looks OK but I just try to remind myself not to open my mouth,” he told AFP.Â
A 2012 Unesco report found that all 13 rivers running into Jakarta Bay were contaminated with human waste, largely due to the capital’s inadequate sewage treatment facilities.Â