Asian Games Facilities Row Puts BCCI and IOA at Odds

The Asian Games preparations in Japan have triggered a disagreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Indian Olympic Association over facilities for Indian cricketers.

BCCI had raised concerns about the arrangements at the Aichi Nagoya venue, particularly the facilities being provided to the cricket teams. Reports said the dressing rooms have been set up inside tents, while washrooms are located around 500 metres away. The board is also understood to have concerns about the size of the hotel rooms.

The IOA, however, has made it clear that the arrangements cannot be changed specifically for the Indian cricket teams. According to reports, the association has asked the BCCI to use the facilities provided by the Asian Games organisers.

At the same time, the IOA has reportedly told the BCCI that it can make its own arrangements if the official facilities are considered unsuitable. This means the cricket board is now likely to focus on ensuring better arrangements for its players rather than waiting for changes from the organisers.

BCCI Chief Executive Officer Hemang Amin is reportedly in contact with the IOA, while the board is also planning to send a team to Japan to assess the facilities. IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer said the Indian contingent would be treated uniformly and that special changes could not be made only for cricketers.

The concerns had already been raised during discussions with Japanese Olympic officials. BCCI sources reportedly pointed out that the distance to the washrooms and the temporary dressing room arrangements could create difficulties for players during the tournament.

There were also reports that the BCCI was considering sending a second string team if the facilities were not improved before the competition. However, the board has not officially announced any such decision.

The Asian Games are scheduled to begin in Japan on September 19. India will participate in both the men’s and women’s cricket competitions.

India’s men’s squad includes Shreyas Iyer as captain, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.

The women’s squad will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, with Smriti Mandhana as vice captain. The squad also includes Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Pratika Rawal, Richa Ghosh, G Kamalini, Bharati Fulmali, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav and Nandini Sharma.