The New Indian Express ·
Sport
Asian Games 2026 — Stage primed for Nagoya to welcome athletes
NAGOYA: THE evening was calm and the weather was pleasant with a light cool breeze. The airport was bustling as athletes and delegates were continuing to check in for the Asian Games. Help was always at hand with friendly and courteous volunteers. All seemed fine and immigration was a breeze. Before Nagoya, the Hong Kong airport seemed to be the preferred destination.
The Skydeck at the Hong Kong international airport is one of the prime attractions for those transiting through the airport. Its lofty and is ensconced at least above 100 feet above one of the runways. Once in a while, an airplane passes under it, giving it a surreal feeling when viewed from a transparent panel fixed on the sides of the deck. The 360 degree view is panoramic with hills on one side and the sea on the other.
One may get lost in its splendour. However, hundreds of Asiad-bound athletes transiting through this airport cannot afford to get lost in anything; at least, for the time being. The challenges ahead are as lofty as the sky deck and the return would be as grand as the view. The Asian Games at Aichi-Nagoya is after all the biggest continental sporting spectacle.
One corner of the airport looked like a stadium before an Opening Ceremony with athletes from different countries dressed in their respective jerseys and track suits making their way to gates where flights to Nagoya are parked. Apart from the India blue, colours of Malaysia, Hong Kong (China), Nepal and other countries were visible. Some looked weary and sleep-deprived while a few preferred a nap on the carpeted floor and a few others were whiling their time on the vast expanse of the airport.
If Hong Kong was a stopover, Nagoya, the final destination, has already had its share of problems to deal with, like at most Games. Those hitting the city for their competitions were left stranded at the airport and outside the make-shift Games Village – cruise liner Costa Serena parked off the coast. The organizers never thought that the cruise ship would be both famous and infamous as the Games 48 hours before the Games begin.
There has been plenty of problems for athletes and team officials. There have been organizational lapses here and there too as players were left stranded at the airport or were not provided rooms as per requirement. As reported by this newspaper, some of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) team officials, including the medical team were adjusted in a hotel. It needs to be seen how they would perform with athletes scattered around the city.
For India, though, the Asian Games has turned into more than the Games with an intense focus on the cricket teams – men and women. Cricket officials were one of the first to have flagged concerns over lack of proper rooms and facilities for cricketers at the Games. Though the organisers have tried to fix their concern as much as they could, there is always room for improvement and the first challenge of playing conditions, apart from the weather, would be when the women’s team take the field against hosts Japan on Friday – a day before the official start to the Games.
It is expected to be a fairly straightforward game for the visitors. The connect that the team has is with the women’s team head coach – Vinay Iyer, who moved to Japan more than a decade ago. Iyer played age group cricket and worked in various fields before shifting. Though there is no failure in sport, for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team anything less than gold at the Games would be considered a loss. The format is as short as T20 cricket – it will get over after three matches if India enter final.
Doping and injuries plagued India’s buildup to the Games but the spotlight focuses on sports, every affliction would be pushed to the background. Lack of good accommodation in Nagoya is slowly getting sorted though some of the logistics are yet to be smooth with teams struggling to find the right means of commuting to the venues. Like one coach who had been part of multiple Games pointed out, it’s a bit messy out here. Yet, once the Games begin, sport will take centrestage.