Asiad 2026: Indian contingent grapples with accommodation woes in Nagoya | Asian Games 2026

Indian athletes arriving in Nagoya for the 2026 Asian Games faced a series of accommodation and logistical problems on Wednesday, with several contingents waiting for hours before getting rooms.

The rowing team was among the worst affected, with many athletes left without accommodation on the cruise ship designated to house them. Some athletes who received rooms were asked to share them with others.

Shooters also faced delays, while accreditation issues affected India’s pistol shooting head coach, Samaresh Jung. The wushu and table tennis contingents reported lengthy registration procedures as they checked in.

The problems came as India’s athletes and officials were being spread across a cruise ship, container-style accommodation and hotels, instead of staying in a traditional Games Village.

Rowers wait for hours for accommodation

The Indian rowing contingent reached the cruise ship at around 9 am Japan Standard Time, but several members were still waiting for rooms more than 11 hours later. A rower said only a few members had received accommodation by 8:30 pm, while some of those given rooms had been asked to accommodate additional athletes.

The contingent includes 22 men and five women athletes. An official from the Rowing Federation of India said only three of the 22 male rowers had accommodation listed against their names. The official also said the names of three women rowers — Poonam, Aleena Anto and Anshika Bharati — were missing from the hosts’ registration system despite the athletes having valid accreditation.

Food and rest become concerns

The long wait came after a demanding journey for the rowing contingent. One rower said the team had left the Army Rowing Node in Pune on Monday evening, travelled to Delhi and then flew to Japan the following morning after a stopover in Bangkok.

According to the rower, the organising committee provided water during the wait but no proper food. Some athletes relied on food they had carried from India.

The rower also said the team had not been able to get adequate sleep and needed rest, with their competition scheduled to begin on September 19.

Shooters face transport and accommodation delays

The Indian shooting contingent also encountered difficulties after arriving in Nagoya. The shooters reached the airport around 9 pm on Tuesday but reportedly waited nearly three hours for transport. A team member said there was no food available at the airport and that the welcome centre could not provide information on their onward arrangements.

The team eventually reached its hotel around 4 am. Shooters were also moved to a different hotel after the accommodation originally allocated to them was reportedly occupied by other participants.

India’s pistol shooting head coach, Samaresh Jung, faced a separate accreditation problem. His accreditation did not permit him to enter the players’ arena and field of play during competitions. The issue was taken up with the National Rifle Association of India, and a new accreditation was expected to be issued.

Wushu, table tennis face lengthy check-in

The wushu contingent also encountered problems during registration. Six of the seven players were initially able to get rooms on the cruise ship, while one player and two coaches reportedly could not find their names in the accommodation system.

An Indian Olympic Association official later said all the players had received rooms.

The table tennis contingent also described the check-in process as lengthy after reaching the cruise ship, although a team member said the situation had eventually settled.

Equestrians seek funds for horse feed

Indian equestrian riders preparing for the Games have faced a different logistical challenge, with the sport’s IOA-appointed ad hoc committee informing riders that government funds had not yet been released for horse feed and related maintenance expenses in Japan.

An email signed by Lt Col Sandeep Dewan, member (administration) of the ad hoc panel and team leader of the equestrian contingent, said the funds released to the national federation were insufficient to clear some existing expenses. The federation had reportedly used its own funds to cover the shortfall in one case.

The communication also said no government funds had been released for feed and other expenses related to maintaining the horses in Japan.

Athletes spread across ship, hotels and container rooms

The accommodation difficulties stem from the Games’ unusual housing arrangement. Aichi-Nagoya 2026 has not created a conventional centralised Athletes’ Village. Instead, participants are being housed on the Costa Serena cruise ship docked at Nagoya Port, in container-style rooms at Garden Pier and in commercial hotels across Aichi Prefecture.

Around 4,000 to 5,000 athletes are expected to stay on the cruise ship, while about 2,000 are to be housed in the container units. The remaining athletes and officials are being accommodated in hotels, including at locations away from Nagoya for some events.

The South Korean contingent has also raised concerns about the size of the container rooms, while athletes from other countries, including Vietnam, China, Korea and Thailand, have reportedly faced accommodation-related difficulties.