The organisers of the 2026 Asian Games have rejected reports of an accommodation shortage ahead of the multi-sport event in Japan, saying all registered athletes and officials have been provided with Games-appropriate lodging.
The clarification from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC) comes amid concerns over facilities and arrangements for cricketers, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also understood to have flagged issues.
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The Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4. Nearly 17,000 athletes and officials are expected to participate in the event.
Several media reports had claimed that the organisers were struggling to accommodate the large number of participants, raising questions about preparations as the Games approach. The OCA, however, strongly dismissed those reports.
In an official statement, the OCA said arrangements had been made for all participants registered before the closing of the Entry by Name process in July.
“All the 17,000+ athletes and officials that are registered for the Asian Games before the closing of Entry by Name in July have been provided with Games-appropriate accommodation,” the council said.
The organisers also made it clear that the number of participants would not be allowed to increase further, except under exceptional circumstances. According to the OCA, no additional registrations have been or will be permitted.
The organising committee said its accommodation plans were based on the approved number of participants and expressed confidence that the requirements would be met without disruption.
The scale of the Games has grown from the initial estimates. Around 15,000 athletes and officials were originally expected to attend, but the number has risen to approximately 17,000 following the addition of teqball and padel to the programme.
The revised figure includes around 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials, underlining the logistical challenge facing the organisers.
While the OCA sought to put the wider accommodation concerns to rest, questions remain over the arrangements specifically for cricket.
An earlier ANI report said the BCCI and the Asian Cricket Council were not satisfied with the facilities and arrangements available for cricketers in Japan. It also reported that the BCCI could send an observer to assess the situation.
The report had further suggested that India could consider sending a second-string, or ‘B’ team, if the facilities were deemed inadequate.
However, a BCCI source told NDTV that while the concerns highlighted in the report were correct, India would not send a ‘B’ team to the Asian Games.
The development comes just weeks before the opening of the Games, putting the spotlight on preparations in Aichi-Nagoya. With thousands of athletes and officials arriving from across Asia, accommodation, training facilities and other logistical arrangements will remain closely watched as organisers enter the final phase of preparations.
The OCA, meanwhile, maintained that preparations were progressing smoothly and expressed confidence that the 2026 Asian Games would proceed as planned
