Asian Games 2026: Indian athletes face 14-hour wait, food shortage and room chaos in Nagoya

Indian players who came to take part in the Asian Games 2026 faced hours of uncertainty rather than a comfortable sleep, with many waiting more than 14 hours for their rooms after travelling from all corners to Nagoya. The rowers did not even have any proper food to eat. The rowing team was denied meals, some athletes were forced to share their rooms, and others had registration issues.

Asian Games 2026: Rowers bear the brunt of accommodation crisis

One of the teams hit hardest was the Indian rowing team. They arrived at the Costa Serena Cruise ship at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. However, most of the athletes did not get accommodation even after more than 11 hours. Only a few got accommodation by 8.30 p.m. In addition, some athletes were accommodated together with other members of the team.

The rowers’ team comprises 22 men and five women. According to the spokesperson, only three out of 22 rowers had accommodation marked against their names. Also, the names of Poonam, Aleena Anto and Anshika Bharati were not registered in the hosts’ register despite having valid accreditations.

Food and rest were yet another issue. The rowers got water but no food while waiting for their flight, after travelling from Pune to Delhi and flying via Bangkok. Some of them used the food that they had brought from India. Their tournament is set to commence on September 19.

The shooters also had their fair share of challenges. It took them almost three hours to be transported to their destination despite arriving at the airport at around 9 pm. They were not offered anything in terms of food or helpful information at the welcome centre. In addition, their original place of lodging was full of other delegates.

The Indian pistol shooting coach Samaresh Jung had the problem of getting an accreditation that would enable him to enter the players’ playground. The solution was that he would get a new accreditation after bringing this matter to the notice of NRAI.

The larger issue was caused by the lack of a standard Games Village. The athletes have been made to reside in Costa Serena ships, container accommodations at Garden Pier, and in hotel accommodations in Aichi Prefecture. According to the organisers, the accommodation plan had become stretched because more athletes participated in new sports events.

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