Asian Games 2026: Gymnast Pranati Nayak, Male Coach Given Same Room In Midnight Chaos In Japan

Asian Games 2026: Gymnast Pranati Nayak and coach had to face accomodation issue© Getty

Since the Indian contingent landed in Nagoya (Japan) for the Asian Games 2026, the issue of accommodation has been absolute chaos. On Thursday, another nightmare unfolded for the members of the Indian contingent. Gymnast Pranati Nayak and her coach, Ashok Mishra, faced a bizarre logistical challenge upon checking in to their official accommodation when organisers informed them that they had been allocated the same room on the cruise ship. Unhappy with the mixed-gender accommodation between athletes and support staff, the duo was forced to escalate the issue immediately. Despite continuous efforts to reach local organisers and team officials, the situation remained unresolved for hours.

NDTV has learned that it was only after the urgent intervention of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) that alternative arrangements were finalised around 1:30 am.

However, that was not the end of the chaos. When Ashok Mishra finally went to collect his keys for a separate room, hotel staff informed him that his booking could not be located in the register.

The cause was a minor administrative oversight in official paperwork: the letter "I" had been omitted from his name in the system records. Rectifying the clerical error and verifying his accreditation took another 45 minutes, keeping the coach waiting well past 2:00 am before he was finally able to rest in his room.

When asked by NDTV, Pranati confirmed that such an incident took place and was only resolved by around 2:00 am.

"Yes, there was a mix-up during the accommodation. It was resolved around 2:00 am," the gymnast said.

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Ever since the Indian contingent arrived in Japan, several accommodation-related issues have been reported. Various athletes had to wait for hours before being allotted a room. Access to training and nutrition has also been an issue.

It has also been reported that the members of the Indian kabaddi contingent experienced similar hotel mix-ups and delayed check-ins upon their arrival, highlighting another episode of widespread administrative and coordination lapses during the team's arrival phase.

With competitions set to begin, athletes and support staff are hoping that the off-field administrative hiccups are behind them so they can pivot their focus entirely back to performance.

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