India’s deputy chef-de-mission A Sharath Kamal believes the accommodation arrangements at the Asian Games will not be a major hurdle for the country’s athletes. With participants set to stay in containers, a cruise ship and hotels, Sharath feels the Indian contingent has been adequately prepared for the setup.
India will have 501 athletes and 265 officials at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with the contingent divided across different accommodation options. Speaking ahead of the Games, Sharath said the athletes had already been given an idea of what to expect and should adapt quickly.
“For the players, by the direction of the Sports Authority of India, we have had some containers built in various SAI campuses, where the athletes got an experience to stay in containers.
“And of course, cruise ships, we tried to replicate something like that,” Sharath said.
“But at the same time, players know what to expect. We have educated them very well. And I am pretty sure they will get accustomed quite quickly,” he added.
Around 4,000 to 5,000 athletes will stay on the Costa Serena, a cruise liner docked at Nagoya Port, while around 2,000 athletes will be accommodated in converted shipping-container units at Garden Pier in Nagoya Bay. The remaining participants will stay in commercial hotels close to competition venues across Aichi prefecture, with some events taking place in Tokyo.
ACCOMMODATION ARRANGEMENTS DRAW CONCERNS
The decision to use converted containers instead of a traditional athletes’ village has attracted criticism from some participating nations. The South Korean contingent has raised concerns about the limited space in the rooms, while members of the Asian Cricket Council have also questioned aspects of the accommodation arrangements.
Indian athletes, however, have had some preparation for the conditions. The Sports Authority of India arranged container facilities at its centres, giving athletes an opportunity to experience the setup before travelling to Japan.
Sharath said the officials could face a different adjustment, as they did not get the same opportunity to acclimatise to container-style accommodation.
The table tennis veteran also stressed that the living arrangements should not take attention away from the competition, with performance remaining the priority for the Indian contingent.
INDIA’S MEDAL CHALLENGE
India will enter the Games with several established names across disciplines. Olympic medallists such as Manu Bhaker, PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu and Neeraj Chopra are among the athletes expected to attract attention, while India will also look to its teams in hockey and cricket to deliver strong campaigns.
Shooting, athletics, archery, badminton, wrestling and weightlifting will form important parts of India’s medal programme. The country will also look to build on its record 107-medal haul from the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will begin on September 19 and run until October 4, with competitions taking place across venues in Aichi prefecture and other locations.
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