No five-star accommodation for Indian cricketers at Asian Games, BCCI confirms

India's cricketers will stay in designated accommodation in Nagoya for the Asian Games, with BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla saying the hotels may not be five-star but are comfortable and suitable for the players

In Short

• India cricketers to stay in designated Nagoya accommodation for Asian Games
• BCCI says hotels are not five-star but players will have comfortable stays
• Shukla says ground, wickets and dressing rooms were bigger concerns

India's cricketers will not have the usual five-star accommodation when they travel to Japan for the upcoming Asian Games, but the BCCI has insisted that the arrangements made for the team in Nagoya are comfortable and satisfactory.

Speaking to PTI on Tuesday, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla said the shortage of top-rated hotels in Nagoya had led to questions over the accommodation available for the Indian cricket teams during the Games.

Shukla, however, said the matter was not a major concern for either the BCCI or the players. The team will stay in the accommodation arranged in Nagoya rather than being housed in Tokyo or Osaka, both of which are located away from the competition 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.

The BCCI vice-president added that the board had reviewed photographs and videos of the accommodation and was satisfied that the facilities would meet the players' requirements.

NAGOYA STAY FINALISED

According to Shukla, the option of putting the Indian cricketers up in Tokyo or Osaka was considered, but the distance from Nagoya made that arrangement impractical.

"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," he said.

Shukla noted that Nagoya does not have a large number of top-rated hotels, while Tokyo and Osaka are around 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 also have separate rooms and will not be required to share accommodation.

Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha also said the issue had been sorted, although there was some uncertainty over which body had made the final accommodation bookings.

Usha said hotels had been arranged for athletes, while the organisers were also providing different accommodation options, including a ship and small villas.

FOCUS SHIFTS TO FACILITIES

Shukla sought to play down the hotel issue, saying the BCCI's bigger concern had been the condition of the cricket facilities in Nagoya.

"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," he said.

He added that the accommodation arrangements were being coordinated between the IOA, the Asian Games Organising Committee and the Japan Cricket Association.

India's cricket contingent will leave for Tokyo on September 20 and play a historic T20 match against Japan on September 22 before beginning its Asian Games campaign on September 28.

Shukla also dismissed reports suggesting that India would send a weakened or second-string side to the Games.

"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," he said.

India head into the Asian Games as defending champions in both the men's and women's cricket competitions after winning gold in Hangzhou in 2023.

- Ends