How India swiftly solved the accommodation crisis in Nagoya

Indian athletes were left in a difficult situation when they arrived in Nagoya, Japan for the Asian Games. Several athletes faced delays in getting accommodation, while others were left waiting at airports and other public spaces as the Games were hit by an unprecedented crisis, with organisers struggling to accommodate a 17,000-strong contingent for the quadrennial event.

By the time the Indian contingent arrived in Nagoya, the news of the accommodation mismanagement was already public. Around 30 to 35 Indian athletes had been removed from the accommodation list without prior warning, leaving the Indian officials with little choice but to find rooms for them at short notice.

Indian authorities, however, did not lose their heads.

Instead, the contingent's support team quickly moved into action, booking additional hotel rooms, arranging transport and sending officials to the airport to receive athletes and ensure they reached their accommodation.

"We have to take care of our athletes and solve their problems and get them good accommodation so that they are in the right frame, both physically and mentally, to win medals and are relaxed," India's Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav said on Friday.VIDEO | Nagoya, Japan: India's Asian Games 2026 Chef de mission Sahdev Yadav on the team welcome flag hoisting ceremony delay and accommodation concerns for the Indian athletes, says, "I am not fully aware what was the reason... probably the chief guest arrived late. We were on pic.twitter.com/NcVHBoCun2— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 18, 2026HOW INDIA DEALT WITH THE CRISISYadav said he only learnt after arriving in Nagoya that several Indian athletes had been removed from the accommodation list by the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee.

The organisers had told India that more athletes than expected had arrived. Yadav, however, said that was not the case with the Indian contingent, which had stuck to the number of athletes for whom accommodation had been invoiced.

"They (Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee) informed us that more players than expected had come (from India). But as far as India is concerned, that's not the case. We stuck to the number of players they had invoiced. But they removed some names, so we booked hotels for them... we faced difficulty with regard to 30-35 athletes," Yadav said on the sidelines of the flag-hoisting function.

The immediate response from the Indian contingent was to find alternative accommodation rather than wait for the organisers to resolve the shortage.

Initially, 18 hotel rooms were booked, with another 10 to be added, enough to accommodate around 30 athletes. Yadav said the affected athletes were from badminton and shooting.

"Our team quickly swung into action to get accommodation for the athletes as quickly as possible," he said.

The problems did not end with finding rooms. Some athletes, particularly those staying on the Costa Serena cruise ship, also faced long waits for accreditation cards.

India responded by arranging additional vehicles and hotel rooms so that athletes did not have to remain stranded while their accreditation was processed.

"Of course, there have been delays in getting the accreditation cards of athletes, as it's a long process for those who are being housed on the cruise ship. Yes, there are long delays there, but we dispatched cars and arranged hotels to make things easy for them," Yadav said.

The Indian contingent also made sure athletes arriving late were not left to find their way to their accommodation on their own.

"We have booked 18 hotel rooms and will book 10 more today to accommodate about 30 athletes. Definitely, they (organisers) have a paucity of accommodation," Yadav added.

The deputy chefs de mission were also directly involved in managing arrivals. Yadav said Alaknanda Ashok and Anjali Bhagwat had gone to the airport on Thursday night to receive athletes.

"Everyone has got accommodation and there is absolutely no problem at our end. Initially, when there were problems, we booked extra hotel rooms. Our team is going to the airport every time to fetch the athletes," he said.advertisementLOOKING BEYOND THE MISMANAGEMENTYadav acknowledged that there had been mismanagement in the handling of arriving contingents, but said India had to focus on making sure its athletes were comfortable rather than allowing the issue to become a distraction.

"Yes, there is mismanagement, but it's a big event and it can happen. But we have to look beyond that," he said.

For India, that meant treating the accommodation issue as an immediate logistical problem and finding a solution before it affected athletes' preparation.

Yadav assured that the initial problems had now been settled and that all Indian athletes had accommodation.

He also dismissed reports that Indian athletes had been placed in shared rooms with members of the opposite gender. Reports had suggested that male and female athletes and coaches from some contingents had been accommodated together, but Yadav said no such arrangement had been made for the Indian team.

"I have not heard of this. As far as our contingent is concerned, no such arrangement has been made," he said.STAYING INDOORS AS TYPHOON LOOMS

With a storm expected to hit Nagoya, the Indian contingent now has another situation to manage.

Yadav said Indian athletes had been advised to remain indoors at their hotels and on the cruise ship, where some members of the contingent are staying.

The advice comes as organisers prepare contingency plans for the weather, with Japanese authorities saying athletes could be temporarily evacuated if torrential rain triggers emergency alerts.

For an Indian contingent that arrived amid an accommodation crisis, the immediate priority has been to ensure that logistical problems do not become sporting problems.

By Friday, Yadav said that all Indian athletes had been accommodated and that the focus could return to the competition.- EndsPublished By: Kingshuk KusariPublished On: Sep 18, 2026 16:35 IST