Asian Games 2026: Japan Breaks Silence On India-Pakistan Concerns Over Cricket Facilities And Hotel Rooms

Concerns over the arrangements for cricket at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, have prompted a response from the Japan Cricket Association (JCA), with India, Pakistan and other major Asian cricket boards understood to have raised questions about accommodation, the playing venue and facilities.

The cricket competition is scheduled to begin on September 17, ahead of the Games' official opening ceremony on September 19, with the tournament being played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. Reports had highlighted concerns over small hotel rooms, the distance between accommodation and the venue and the relatively new cricket surface.

Unlike previous Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya will not have a conventional athletes' village, with participants spread across hotels, temporary accommodation and a cruise ship.

Japan says cricket facilities were built from scratch

JCA CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji sought to put the concerns into perspective, stressing the difficult circumstances under which Japan prepared for cricket's return to the Asian Games. He said the Aichi-Nagoya Games Organizing Committee (AINAGOC), working with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) under the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), had limited time to create a suitable cricket venue in a region where the sport has traditionally had little infrastructure.

“They only had 17 months to prepare and had to start from scratch as there were no Cricket venues of any standard in Aichi Prefecture. Considering the limited time and resources available, AINAGOC and ACC have worked together to ensure that the playing facilities are suitable," Miyaji told PTI.

The venue itself was converted from a baseball facility and has been developed specifically for the Asian Games. Questions were raised about the hybrid surface because it has had limited exposure to high-level cricket, but Miyaji defended the work carried out by the organisers and their partners.

“It will be a full size ground with turf and hybrid pitches prepared by the best curators which Sri Lanka Cricket should be credited for providing. There are limits on what they can do within these tight limits, but from what I have seen, the playing surface and field will be the best seen in Cricket’s inclusion in the Asian Games," he added.

Accommodation concerns remain a talking point

The venue is not the only issue attracting attention. Cricket teams are expected to stay in hotels around 20 kilometres from Korogi Sports Park, while reports suggested that some rooms may be too small to comfortably accommodate two players along with their cricket equipment.

Miyaji clarified that participating cricket teams are being offered hotel accommodation and also have the option of making their own arrangements if they prefer. He said the ACC and AINAGOC had been discussing accommodation for some time, while pointing out that other sports are facing even more unconventional arrangements, including accommodation aboard a cruise ship and in container-style facilities.

The broader accommodation challenge stems from the Games attracting more participants than originally projected. Organisers and the OCA have confirmed that arrangements have been secured for more than 17,000 athletes and officials, despite the initial planning figure of around 15,000.

With India expected to field a strong men's side led by Shreyas Iyer, attention will now turn to whether the newly created Japanese venue can deliver an international-standard cricket experience. Japan's organisers insist that, despite the constraints, considerable work has gone into making sure cricket gets the platform it deserves.