New Delhi – The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has made clear that if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decides its players should not stay in the official Asian Games villages in Aichi‑Nagoya, the cricket board will have to assume complete responsibility for accommodation, meals, transport and ensuring timely access to the competition venues. The IOA will not arrange separate lodging for the sport; that duty rests with the BCCI and the Games’ Organising Committee.
IOA stresses equal treatment across 36 sports
IOA chief executive Raghuram Iyer told The Times of India that the BCCI is free to make its own arrangements should the organisers’ hotels not meet its expectations, but the decision and the logistical burden would lie entirely with the cricket board. Iyer added that the IOA’s mandate is to safeguard the welfare of the entire Indian contingent, which includes athletes from 36 different disciplines, and to treat every sport, athlete, coach and official equally.
According to Iyer, the BCCI’s chief executive Hemang Amin has already been in contact with the IOA, and the two sides have had a constructive discussion. The cricket board is reportedly planning to send an advance team to Japan in the coming days to evaluate the official facilities. Based on that assessment, the BCCI can decide whether to use the organisers’ hotels or to secure its own premises.
Official hotels assigned to Indian teams
For the duration of the Games, the organisers have allocated a three‑star property – APA Hotel Nagoya Ekimae – for the men’s cricket squad, while the women’s team will stay at the four‑star Meitetsu Grand Hotel. Both hotels meet the basic requirements set by the Games, but they are a grade below the five‑star accommodations that Indian cricketers typically enjoy on international tours. In addition, rooms will be allocated on a twin‑sharing basis, a point that has drawn criticism from some quarters.
The women’s squad, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, will face the first logistical challenge. After completing the Asia Cup in Dubai, the team is scheduled to return to India on 13 September and fly to Nagoya the following day. Their Asian Games campaign begins directly with a quarter‑final match on 18 September and is slated to conclude on 22 September.
The men’s side, led by Shreyas Iyer, will depart for Japan on 21 September. Like the women, they will enter the competition at the quarter‑final stage, with matches running from 28 September to 4 October, after which the team will return home.
BCCI’s advance scouting mission and the pressure on local accommodation
Sources say a BCCI advance team will travel to Japan early next week to inspect the assigned hotels, the cricket venue and other support facilities before the board makes a final decision. The outcome of that visit could prove decisive, as Aichi‑Nagoya is already experiencing significant strain on its hotel capacity. The expected number of athletes and coaches has risen to roughly 17,000, up from an original estimate of 15,000, prompting organisers to supplement existing hotels with mobile accommodation units and even the cruise liner Costa Serena.
Should the BCCI deem the official hotels unsuitable and opt for separate accommodation, the board will need to arrange every aspect of the stay – from room bookings and catering to local transport and shuttles to the cricket ground. Even in that scenario, the cricketers would remain within the Games framework: security, accreditation and access protocols would continue to apply, and any outsiders lacking valid accreditation would be barred from the team hotels.
Separate lodging would also have implications for anti‑doping procedures. The World Anti‑Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Testing Agency (ITA) would have to be informed of the players’ location to enable random testing at the chosen premises.
Iyer reiterated that the IOA is comfortable with the BCCI conducting its own assessment. “The BCCI is taking care of its athletes, and sending an advance team is the right way to assess the facilities before making a decision. We are completely for the well‑being of the athletes. Our objective is that the entire Indian delegation has a comfortable stay and a wonderful experience in Japan,” he said.
Looking ahead to Los Angeles 2028 and a historic India‑Japan T20I
While the Aichi‑Nagoya arrangements are under scrutiny, preparations for cricket’s return to the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028 are already progressing. Iyer recently participated in a joint IOA‑Sports Authority of India (SAI) delegation that spent nearly a week in Los Angeles, meeting stakeholders and inspecting venues across sports, including the newly built Knight Riders Cricket Ground at the Fairplex complex in Pomona. The venue is adjacent to the Sheraton Fairplex Suites & Conference Center, where the cricket teams are expected to be housed, and Major League Cricket matches are slated to provide an early competitive test of the ground and its playing surface.
Before the Asian Games, India and Japan will share a symbolic cricketing moment. The two men’s sides are scheduled to meet in a Twenty20 International on 22 September for the Suzuki Cup, commemorating 75 years of diplomatic relations between the countries. The match will also give Indian cricketers valuable match practice ahead of the Asian Games tournament.
In summary, the IOA has drawn a clear line: any decision by the BCCI to move outside the official Asian Games hotel system will be its own responsibility, encompassing all logistical, security and anti‑doping requirements. The board’s advance scouting mission will determine whether the three‑star and four‑star hotels meet the cricket team’s standards, or whether a separate arrangement will be pursued. Meanwhile, long‑term planning for cricket’s Olympic debut in Los Angeles continues, underscoring the sport’s growing footprint on the multi‑sport stage.
Be First to Comment