India’s Asian Games campaign has run into a logistical problem before the sporting action has properly begun, with athletes arriving in Nagoya reporting lengthy delays in receiving the accommodation arranged for them.
Several members of the Indian contingent were left waiting for more than 12 hours after reaching Japan, while some reportedly remained without rooms for over 14 hours. The situation affected athletes despite them carrying valid accreditations, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
The accommodation was being provided aboard a cruise ship docked in Nagoya. Instead of settling into their rooms after a long journey, sections of the Indian contingent had to continue waiting, with limited assistance available during the delay.
Long Journey Ends In Another Wait
The Indian rowing contingent was among those affected. The rowers travelled from Delhi in two groups on Tuesday, with the second batch leaving several hours after the first.
The first group reached Nagoya at approximately 8 AM Japan Standard Time on Wednesday after travelling through Bangkok. Their next destination was the cruise ship, which they reached around an hour later.
But arriving at the designated accommodation did not mean the athletes could immediately rest.
“We reached the facility around 9 AM JST and it’s 8:30 PM now but only a few of us got the rooms,” an Indian rower told The New Indian Express.
The same athlete also described what happened to those who eventually received keys.
“Even those who got the rooms were asked to accommodate more athletes. It seems the organisers have miscalculated the number of athletes,” the rower added.
The rowing contingent involved 30 members, including 17 male and five female athletes. The reported shortage meant that even athletes who obtained rooms were asked to share the available space.
Shooters Among Other Teams Affected
The disruption was not confined to India’s rowers. The shooting contingent and two other Indian teams were also reportedly caught up in the accommodation problem. In the shooters’ case, the venue originally assigned to them was given to other teams, forcing them to move into a different hotel. Members of the Indian Olympic Association were also shifted to a nearby hotel, while the medical team had to make temporary arrangements alongside them.
Reports emerging from Nagoya indicate that the problem extended beyond India, with athletes from other countries also encountering accommodation and transport difficulties. Separate reports have described room shortages and delays affecting delegations from Vietnam, China, South Korea and Thailand.
Games Village Model Under Scrutiny
The accommodation difficulties are unfolding against the backdrop of an unusual setup for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Rather than relying on one conventional athletes’ village, organisers have used a combination of cruise ship accommodation, hotels and temporary facilities. The cruise ship being used for athletes is the Costa Serena, which has been docked in Nagoya ahead of the Games. AFP images from September 17 also showed temporary wooden container accommodation being prepared for athletes.
The Games are scheduled to run from September 19 to October 4, with athletes from across Asia preparing to compete in the event. For India’s contingent, however, the priority before competition begins is straightforward: getting athletes into their assigned rooms, ensuring they have adequate facilities and allowing them to recover properly after international travel.
The accommodation disruption has therefore emerged as an early concern for the Indian contingent, with multiple teams reportedly forced to adjust their plans even before competition gets underway
