India would be butt of jokes if Asian Games chaos happened there: Athlete

Indian MMA fighter Varun Sanyal did not mince his words while describing the accommodation mess at the Asian Games in Nagoya. Had the same situation unfolded in India, he believes the media backlash would have been far bigger and global.

"If this happened in India, oh my God, the media would be going crazy, not just in India, but globally. We would've been the butt of the joke," Varun said.“If this happened in India, oh my God, the media would be going crazy, not just in India, but globally. We would’ve been the butt of the joke.- Asian Games Athlete & MMA fighter Varun Sanyal on if the same situation had arisen in India https://t.co/4amYF9h5y4 pic.twitter.com/30JIjHtQN7— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) September 17, 2026

Varun was speaking after facing a chaotic scramble for accommodation himself. Despite having a valid Asian Games ID card, his name could not be found in the accommodation system. He was sent between three different facilities before finally getting a room, only to discover that two other Indian athletes had also been assigned the same room.

"There's a lot of chaos with regards to the athletes' rooms and assignment of rooms. So of course, myself included, I was sort of caught up in all of this, and it's still not solved," he said.

Varun said the trouble began when he reached the convention centre after travelling from the airport.

"As soon as you get there, it's like total chaos because you just see a bunch of athletes all over the place. As you've seen, there are people lying around, sleeping, just waiting," he said.

Despite having his Asian Games ID card, officials could not find his name when he went to register.

"So I go to the counter, I go to register, get my room number or my accommodation details, and they just cannot find my name anywhere in the system. Like, I'm a total ghost in the system," he said.

Officials spent around two hours trying to resolve the issue before sending him to the Costa Serena cruise ship, where athletes are staying.

By then, around three hours had passed without a solution. At the cruise ship, Varun said officials again could not find his details and asked him to contact India's National Olympic Committee.

He was subsequently sent to another facility, adding more time to an already exhausting journey.NO FOOD DURING THE WAIT

The prolonged wait also left Varun without food.

"In none of these facilities was there any food. They'd give you water bottles, but there's no food and you can't even go anywhere and buy anything," he said.

"Yes, I know as an MMA fighter or perhaps a wrestler, boxer, you're cutting weight, etc., but you still need to eat. You still need some kind of food."

At the third facility, Varun said he encountered athletes from Tajikistan and Sri Lanka facing similar problems.

"Everyone is facing a similar issue. So this has gone, this has become widespread. So I'm like, what the hell is going on?"SAME ROOM, THREE ATHLETES

Varun eventually got a room on the Costa Serena and thought the ordeal was over. It was not. Around 30 minutes after going to sleep, he heard a commotion and found two Indian athletes standing above him.

"I just see two Indian athletes standing right above me, looking as confused as I was, and we're just looking at each other like, what's going on here," he said.

The two athletes had also been assigned the same room.

"Turns out in the system, they've assigned me this room. But this room originally belonged to them," Varun said.

The situation left all three unsure about what would happen next.

"These two poor athletes are now in the same sort of loop that I was in. I don't know what's gonna happen either. They're gonna get kicked out. I may get bumped off again.

"It's just a mess. It's just a mess."INDIANS FACE ROOM ISSUES

Varun's experience comes amid wider concerns over accommodation arrangements at the Games.

Indian athletes from rowing, wushu and table tennis have checked into the Costa Serena. A member of the Indian contingent told PTI that some rooms meant for two athletes were being shared by three.

"In some rooms which are meant for only two athletes, three players are staying. The rooms are already small and one additional athlete makes it even more inconvenient. The athletes want to give their best in such a mega event but they are facing this," the contingent member said on condition of anonymity.

"But we are not complaining, we are adjusting to the situation. Food-wise, though, there are no issues."

Two members of India's rowing support staff are also understood to be staying outside after they could not be accommodated on the ship.

Several Indian rowers waited for more than 12 hours on Wednesday before receiving their rooms.

"We reached the cruise ship registration area around 9am (on Wednesday), then we waited and waited and finally entered our rooms almost at midnight," one Indian athlete said.

India's Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav acknowledged the issue.

"There has been a bit of mismanagement from them (organisers) but we are sorting out the issue. We are working on that," he told PTI.advertisementNO ATHLETES' VILLAGEThe Aichi-Nagoya Games have not provided a traditional Athletes' Village, with around 17,000 athletes and officials being accommodated across multiple locations.

These include the Costa Serena at Nagoya Port, container-style wooden huts and hotels across Aichi prefecture. Some athletes competing in Tokyo are also staying there.

The arrangement has also created long travel times for athletes during their preparations.

Indian rowers have to travel around 30km from the cruise ship to the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course, with the journey taking more than an hour.

Table tennis players also have to travel around 30km for training, while India's wushu team travels around 30 minutes by bus to the Aichi Prefecture Martial Arts Hall, more than 10km from the ship.CONTAINER ROOMS CRITICISED

Around 200 container-style wooden huts are being used to accommodate approximately 2,000 athletes from sports including football, basketball, baseball, softball, jiu-jitsu and kurash.

India's kurash team is expected to stay there after arriving around September 24, with competition beginning on September 27.

"Kurash team will stay there (container villas). They will reach here around September 24," Deputy Chef de Mission Alaknanda Ashok told PTI.

South Korean officials had earlier criticised the container accommodation, describing the rooms as cramped.

Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organising committee president Hideaki Omura, however, defended the temporary accommodation, saying it could serve as a model for financially sustainable sporting events.

With the opening ceremony just days away, the accommodation arrangements remain a concern as athletes prepare for competition.- EndsPublished By: Saurabh KumarPublished On: Sep 17, 2026 22:18 IST