The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to have its players stay in the official hotels designated by the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organisers, ending a dispute over accommodation arrangements.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla confirmed that Indian cricketers will not be moved to an alternative hotel. The board had raised concerns over the accommodation allocation, particularly the possibility of players having to use twin-sharing rooms. Shukla said the BCCI would instead try to secure individual rooms for its cricketers within the designated hotels.
“Whatever they are providing, we are staying there,” Shukla said at the send-off ceremony for the Indian contingent heading to the Asian Games. He said the BCCI had seen photographs and videos of the accommodation and found it to be good and comfortable, although it did not meet the five-star standard Indian cricketers typically receive during overseas tours.
The men’s team has been allotted the three-star APA Hotel Nagoya Ekimae, while the women’s team will stay at the four-star Meitetsu Grand Hotel.
Shukla said relocating the teams to Osaka or Tokyo had also been considered but would have created a greater logistical problem because of the distance from Nagoya.
He said the board’s larger concern had been the sporting facilities rather than the hotels. The BCCI had raised questions about the ground, wickets and dressing rooms. According to Shukla, a team from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) subsequently visited Nagoya and is now satisfied with the facilities.
The accommodation issue had earlier attracted attention after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said the cricketers would not receive special treatment and that separate arrangements would not be sought for them.
Shukla also rejected speculation that India would field a second-string side at the Games. He said the country would send its full contingent of talented players and expressed confidence that India could win.
IOA president PT Usha also confirmed that the accommodation issue had been resolved, saying there was no longer any problem and that everything had been sorted.
India enter the Asian Games as defending champions in both the men’s and women’s cricket competitions. The decision means the teams will remain within the official accommodation arrangements made for the wider Indian contingent, while the BCCI seeks individual rooms for its players where possible.
