Asiad: BCCI wants own accommodation for players, IOA not ready to play ball

A multi-discipline extravaganza like Olympics or Asian Games is historically known to be a great leveller – where the uber rich athletes rub often shoulders with the common denominator. However, the absence of a Games Village in the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan has resulted in a bit of logistical nightmare for the accommodation of 17,000-odd athletes and India’s elite men and women cricket teams are in no mood to compromise on their standards.

Much in lines of the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the organisers had issued a heads-up about putting a cap in the number of participants as they are accommodating athletes across hotels, cruise ships and temporary housing instead of sticking with the usual athletes’ village. The cash-rich BCCI, which doesn’t depend on funds from the Union Sports Ministry for travel and logistics, have been extremely unhappy at the thought of double occupancy in hotel rooms for their players and had even considered sending ‘B’ teams for the men and women’s events.   

Asked about the accommodation issue, which almost reached a flashpoint between the BCCI and Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the board secretary Devajit Saikia said they were ready to jump in and make sure players and staff have everything they need. “If required, BCCI will have its own system in place to provide the best facilities to our players,” Saikia said in Mumbai earlier this week. 

Media reports say that the BCCI had pledged that the likes of Shreyas Iyer & Co and their women counterparts will be flying business class as per their norms. The Indian men’s team, for now, have been booked at APA Hotel Nagoya Ekimae, a three-star property while the women has been booked at the four-star Meitetsu Grand Hotel. However, the IOA has communicated to BCCI that they would have to make their own arrangements in case the cricket teams are not satisfied with the quality of hotels provided.

Speaking to TOI, IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer said while the BCCI is free to make its own arrangements if the organisers’ hotels don’t fit the bill for them, but the decision and the accompanying logistical responsibility rests with the Board. The IOA, according to Iyer, has to ensure ‘equal treatment and welfare’ for the entire Indian contingent involving 36 disciplines.

‘’BCCI CEO Hemang Amin got in touch with us (IOA) and we had a fruitful discussion. They are contemplating sending an advance team to Japan to assess the facilities. The IOA is fine with that. Based on their assessment, they can decide whether they want to use the organisers’ facilities or make their own arrangements. It is for the BCCI and the organisers to work out the best solution. All sports, athletes, coaches and the entire delegation are treated equally by the IOA,’’ Iyer said. 

Meanwhile, Japan Cricket Association CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji clarified that hotels are available for teams but it’s up to them to make arrangements if they want something else. India men’s team will, meanwhile, play Japan in a historic one-off T20I match on 22^nd September. 

On the cricket pitch, India enter the Games as defending champions in both men and women’s T20. Shreyas will lead the men, supported by head coach VVS Laxman who had coached the Men in Blue to their gold medal run in Hangzhou in 2023 as well. While he will be busy with the Games squad, Gautam Gambhir remains in charge of the seniors for the home ODI series against the West Indies. 

Harmanpreet Kaur will, meanwhile, lead the women’s team backed by coach Amol Muzumdar. The women’s team arrives in Japan on 14th September and leaves on 23rd September while the men show up 21st and fly out on 4th October.

The women’s team is seeded to face Japan directly in the quarter finals facing while the men kick off on 24th September. Both squads are a blend of top internationals and rising stars and will start as title favourites all over again.