India’s contingent at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan faced initial accommodation, accreditation and transportation issues, with Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav acknowledging logistical challenges and saying the Indian side made additional arrangements for its athletes.
Sahdev Yadav said the Sports Authority of India (SAI) arranged additional hotels and transportation for Indian players after the contingent was informed upon arrival that its accommodation quota had been reduced.
“Everyone has accommodation, and there is no problem from our side. There were some issues initially, which is why we booked an additional hotel,” he said.
He said 18 additional rooms had already been booked while another 10 rooms were expected to be secured.
“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,” Sahdev Yadav said.
“There is definitely a shortage of accommodation,” he added.
Sahdev Yadav said the decision to arrange additional accommodation was taken after India’s quota was reduced following the contingent’s arrival in Japan.
“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.
The Indian contingent has also made its own arrangements for transportation, with SAI organising cars and accommodation to ensure athletes can move between venues and their hotels despite the reported logistical issues.
Sahdev Yadav acknowledged that there had been some mismanagement but said the Indian contingent was not interested in focusing on assigning blame.
“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,” Sahdev Yadav said. He stressed that the priority was to resolve the athletes’ problems and ensure that they had the necessary facilities to concentrate on competition.
“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 said.
Sahdev Yadav’s comments come as the Indian contingent manages logistical challenges alongside competition at the ongoing Asian Games in Japan. While additional rooms and private transport arrangements have been made, the accreditation process has also taken longer than expected, according to the Chef de Mission.
