BCCI Confirms No Five-Star Stays For Indian Cricketers At Asian Games; Team To Stay In Nagoya

India’s cricketers will not get their usual five-star accommodation for the Asian Games in Japan, but the BCCI has said the Nagoya arrangements are good enough and that players will be comfortable. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla reported on Tuesday that a shortage of top-rated hotels in Nagoya had raised questions over accommodation for Indian cricket teams during the Games.

Shukla sought to calm those concerns. He said the board was keeping a close watch on the arrangements and had accepted that the team would stay in Nagoya instead of Tokyo or Osaka, both farther from the venue.

“Whatever they are providing, we are staying there and we are keeping a watch what kind of accommodation is being given so that our players are comfortable. Definitely those are not of five-star but a good accommodation,” Shukla said.

Accommodation Details

The BCCI said it had already checked the property. Shukla said the board had reviewed photographs and videos of the accommodation before clearing it for the cricketers.

“Whatever has been offered to our cricketers, that accommodation we have got the photographs all the way and the videos also of that, so I think it's comfortable. They will be going and staying there because otherwise the options were to make them stay in Osaka or Tokyo that's far away,” Shukla said.

Distance drove the final call. Shukla said Nagoya has few hotels, while Tokyo and Osaka are each about one and a half hours away by bullet train. “The problem was that Nagoya hasn't got many hotels. Tokyo is one and a half hour by bullet train, so is Osaka. But in the Asian Games, all the participants are like families, it doesn't look nice that some teams stay in Tokyo and some in Osaka,” he said.

The cricketers will have separate rooms and will not have to share accommodation.

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Facilities And Coordination

The bigger worry was elsewhere. Shukla said the state of the cricket ground, wicket and dressing rooms mattered more to the BCCI than the hotel issue.

“The big issue was the ground, wicket and dressing rooms. They have addressed those things. Asian Cricket Council's team had gone there and now they are satisfied with the ground, the wickets and dressing rooms, everything is fine,” Shukla said.

Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha also said the matter had been sorted. There was, however, some uncertainty over which body made the final accommodation bookings. Hotels had been arranged for athletes, while organisers were also offering other options including a ship and small villas.

The coordination involved several bodies. Shukla said the accommodation plan was being worked out between the IOA, the Asian Games Organising Committee and the Japan Cricket Association.

Schedule And Ambitions

India’s cricket contingent leaves for Tokyo on September 20. Before the Asian Games campaign begins, India will play a historic T20 match against Japan on September 22.

The Asian Games campaign starts on September 28. Shukla also rejected talk that India would send a weakened squad to the event.

“We sending our B team is complete rumour. Our full contingent is going with the most talented players and I hope that we'll definitely win,” Shukla said.

India go into the Games as defending champions in both the men’s and women’s cricket events. They won gold in Hangzhou in 2023, which gives this trip added weight despite the questions around accommodation.