NEW DELHI: India’s Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav has acknowledged a shortage of accommodation at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, revealing that the Indian contingent had to book additional hotel rooms after its accommodation quota was reduced upon arrival in Japan.Yadav said the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian contingent had made their own arrangements for hotels and transport to ensure athletes were not affected by the logistical issues surrounding the Games.“Everyone has accommodation, and there is no problem from our side. There were some issues initially, which is why we booked an additional hotel. Our team is going directly to the airport. The accreditation process is quite lengthy and is being done on the cruise, so it is taking a lot of time. There are also some transportation issues, but we have made our own arrangements for cars and hotels for our players. We have already booked 18 rooms and will book another 10 today. There is definitely a shortage of accommodation,” Yadav told reporters.The admission comes amid wider concerns over lodging, transport and accreditation in the lead-up to the official opening of the Games on Saturday.Organisers have opted against building a traditional athletes’ village, instead using container-style accommodation, hotels and a docked cruise ship. The Olympic Council of Asia said Friday that all athletes and officials registered by the entry deadline had been provided Games-appropriate accommodation, while acknowledging logistical strains.
‘Our priority is to look after our children’
Yadav said the Indian contingent was not interested in assigning blame and would instead focus on ensuring athletes were comfortable and able to concentrate on competition.“There has been some mismanagement, but this is such a big event that anything can happen. However, we don’t want to focus on who is at fault. Our priority is to look after our children, resolve all their problems and ensure they are comfortable and well taken care of. We want them to focus on their performance, win medals and then relax. That is our wish, and that is what we are working towards,” he added.Yadav also revealed that India had been informed after its arrival that its accommodation quota had been reduced, forcing the contingent to make alternative arrangements at short notice.“When we arrived here, we were informed that our accommodation quota had been reduced. So, we had to book additional hotels within a day,” he said.Reports have also highlighted delays faced by several Indian athletes and teams in reaching their accommodation, while additional rooms have had to be arranged as more members of the contingent arrive.
Flag ceremony delayed, then disrupted
The accommodation concerns were followed by another organisational setback on Friday when the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony involving India and four other contingents was delayed and then abruptly disrupted.The ceremony at Garden Pier, involving Yemen, North Korea, Palestine, India and Timor-Leste, began after a 20-minute delay before being halted. Organisers initially said: “We are sorry for the delay. There is some trouble with a team. We will try to restore in another 15 minutes.”The disruption eventually lasted more than an hour. Organisers later attributed it to a communication problem between the Olympic Council of Asia Executive Board and the Organising Committee.India’s deputy chefs de mission A Sharath Kamal and Anjali Bhagwat had begun moving towards the dais before returning to the waiting area after the ceremony was delayed again.“I have not seen such a scene before,” Yadav told PTI.The ceremony eventually went ahead, with former shooter Bhagwat and former sprinter Lijo David Thottan representing India.The disruption added to the logistical concerns surrounding the Games, even as India prepared to enter Saturday’s official opening ceremony, with double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and two-time defending Asian Games shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor named the country’s flag-bearers.