Why Athletes Are Being Lodged In A Cruise At Asian Games 2026? Explained

A massive cruise is serving as an accomodation to the Indian and global athletes at the Asian Games 2026, with the world just a few hours away from witnessing a glittering opening ceremony and some exciting action coming after it. The cruise, going by the name of 'Costa Serena' has gross tonnage of approximately 114,000 tons and is 290.2 metres in length, as per the official website of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The cruise ship has 1,500 cabins and a passenger capacity of 3,780. 

The 20th Asian Games will not have a traditional Athletes' Village, so the athletes and officials from across the world will be accommodated in the Costa Serena, Asian Games “villas” in nearby Garden Pier and in several hotels spread throughout Nagoya City and Aichi Prefecture, as per OCA's official website. 

Notably, the 2026 edition of the Asian Games so far, has been marked by reports of mismanagement and accommodation-related issues faced by athletes.

Notably, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has put in place a three-layer management system to address logistical issues at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, with around 2,000 members of the Indian diaspora on standby to offer accommodation to athletes if required.

The ministry said the arrangements were made after reports of mismanagement at the Games, with Indian officials and members of the diaspora coordinating to ensure athletes do not face difficulties with accommodation, transportation or other arrangements.

“Approximately 2000 Indian people in Nagoya are on standby to open their houses for athletes if they have problems with their accommodation,” a source from the ministry told ANI.

“Diaspora is in action; we have allotted two people at the airport, three people at the welcome centre. Chef de Mission (Sahdev Yadav) and SAI officials to make sure none of the athlete face problem from onward,” a MYAS source added.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha in Nagoya on Friday and discussed various matters, including accommodation problems faced by some athletes upon their arrival in Japan.

Usha shared a post on her X account, writing, "Welcomed our Hon'ble Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs Shri @mansukhmandviya ji in Nagoya! Thank you, Sir, for your support always! Your presence will definitely boost the morale of our contingent."

Earlier on Friday, India's chef de mission for the 2026 Asian Games, Sahdev Yadav, acknowledged initial accommodation, accreditation and transportation issues, while stressing that arrangements were being made to ensure the contingent's needs were met.

“Everyone has accommodation, and there is no problem from our side. There were some issues initially, which is why we booked an additional hotel. Our team is going directly to the airport. The accreditation process is quite lengthy and is being done on the cruise, so it is taking a lot of time. There are also some transportation issues, but we have made our own arrangements for cars and hotels for our players. We have already booked 18 rooms and will book another 10 today. There is definitely a shortage of accommodation," Yadav told reporters.

Yadav said the contingent had to arrange additional hotel rooms at short notice after its accommodation quota was reduced upon arrival.

"When we arrived here, we were informed that our accommodation quota had been reduced. So, we had to book additional hotels within a day," he said.

Acknowledging the logistical shortcomings, Yadav said the focus remained on the athletes' comfort and preparations.

"There has been some mismanagement, but this is such a big event that anything can happen. However, we don't want to focus on who is at fault. Our priority is to look after our children; resolve all their problems and ensure they are comfortable and well taken care of. We want them to focus on their performance, win medals and then relax. That is our wish, and that is what we are working towards," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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