IOA draws line, no special treatment for cricket at Asian Games; BCCI must decide: Official games hotels or self-arranged stay

The Board of Control for Cricket in India faces tough choices after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) refused to provide any special treatment for cricket at the Asian Games. IOA firmly rejected any special accommodation arrangements for India’s cricket teams in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, insisting on equal treatment for athletes across all sports.

Either the cricket board accepts the official Asian Games hotels or provides accommodation, food, transport and ensures that its players reach the venue on time.

IOA draws line, no special treatment for cricket at Asian Games; BCCI must decide

IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer told the Times of India that the BCCI is free to make its own hotel arrangements if the official Games hotels do not meet its requirements. However, the board would then assume full responsibility for accommodation, food, transport, and ensuring players arrive at venues on time. According to the aforementioned report:

“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 completely fine with that. Based on their assessment, they can decide whether they want to use the organisers’ facilities or make their own arrangements.”

Iyer added:

“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 IOA.”

The association will not intervene to secure separate facilities for cricket to ensure equal treatment and the welfare of the entire Indian contingent across 36 sports. Organisers have allocated the three-star APA Hotel Nagoya Ekimae for the men’s team and the four-star Meitetsu Grand Hotel for the women, both on a twin-sharing basis.

These standards fall short of the five-star hotels Indian cricketers typically use, prompting BCCI concerns over room size and logistics, as per reports. The decision comes amid wider questions about facilities for the T20 cricket competitions, which form part of the multi-sport event.

India enter as defending champions in both the men’s and women’s events after their success at Hangzhou 2022. The women’s tournament begins on 17 September, with the men’s competition starting a week later.

BCCI has previously indicated it is prepared to step in with its own arrangements if needed to ensure players receive the best possible facilities. It is to be noted that the separate stay will have implications for anti-doping procedures. The cricket board will have to communicate through the IOA to the organisers about whatever is decided.

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