“Players know what to expect”: Sharath Kamal backs Indian athletes to adapt to Asian Games accommodation

New Delhi, September 16: India's deputy chef de mission for the Asian Games, A Sharath Kamal, believes the unusual accommodation arrangements at the Aichi-Nagoya Games will not affect the country's athletes, despite concerns raised by some participating contingents over the size and quality of the facilities.

India has sent a 501-member athlete contingent, accompanied by 265 officials, with the participants staying across container-style accommodation, a docked cruise ship and commercial hotels. The arrangements are similar to those being used for nearly 17,000 athletes and officials attending the Games, which begin on September 19. While the South Korean contingent has reportedly raised concerns about the limited space in the container rooms, some Asian Cricket Council members have also questioned the accommodation facilities.

However, the former Indian Table Tennis star said that it would not be a very big hassle for the Indian athletes as they have already acclimatised to the conditions. He further explained that the Sports Authority of India had arranged temporary container facilities at several of its centres, allowing athletes to experience the kind of accommodation they could expect in Nagoya. Similar efforts were also made to familiarise them with the cruise-ship setup.

"For the players, by the direction of the Sports Authority of India, we have had some containers built in various SAI campuses, where the athletes got an experience to stay in containers. And of course, cruise ships, we tried to replicate something like that," Sharath said.

Athletes Can Adjust Quickly To Conditions

Around 4,000 to 5,000 athletes will be accommodated aboard the luxury cruise liner Costa Serena, which will remain docked at Nagoya Port during the Games. Another 2,000 or so athletes are expected to stay in converted shipping containers at Garden Pier in Nagoya Bay.

The rest of the participants, including a large number of officials, will be housed in commercial hotels located close to competition venues across Aichi Prefecture. Some events will also take place in Tokyo, where participants involved in those competitions will be accommodated separately.

According to Sharath, the athletes have been briefed about what to expect and should be able to adjust quickly once they arrive. He admitted, however, that the officials could face a greater challenge because they did not receive the same opportunity to familiarise themselves with container accommodation at SAI centres.

"But at the same time, players know what to expect. We have educated them very well. And I am pretty sure they will get accustomed quite quickly," he said.

For Sharath, the accommodation should ultimately remain secondary to the athletes' primary objective at the Games.

"The important thing is the performance. I am sure they will be able to perform well," he added.

Sharath Expects At Least One TT Medal

Having retired from competitive table tennis in 2025 after representing India at five Olympic Games and four Asian Games, Sharath also outlined his expectations from the country's paddlers at the upcoming edition.

India will field a 10-member table tennis squad in Aichi-Nagoya, comprising five men and five women. Sharath is targeting at least one medal and believes the team has realistic opportunities to add more to its tally.

"My expectation is to win at least one medal, if not two," he said, pointing to India's recent record at the Asian Games. The country won one medal in women's doubles at the previous edition in China, while India had secured two bronze medals at the 2018 Games.

Manush-Manav Among Medal Hopes

Sharath has particularly backed the men's doubles combination of Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah. The pair has established itself among the leading doubles teams in the world and, according to Sharath, has the quality to challenge for a medal in Japan.

"The men's doubles pair of Manush and Manav, they are doing extremely well. They were world number two at one point in time. They are in the top four now. And they have a good chance of winning a medal," he said.

He also identified the mixed doubles pairing of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale as another strong medal prospect. Beyond those two disciplines, Sharath believes the team events could also provide India with opportunities, given the unpredictable nature of the competition.

"So these two events, we have a good chance to win medals. And of course, team championships are always quite an open event," he said.

Indian TT Contingent Aiming To Build On Hangzhou

The table tennis competition at the Asian Games will take place from September 20 to 28. India will be looking to build on its performances from the previous two editions.

At the 2022 Asian Games in China, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee secured a bronze medal in women's doubles. Sutirtha is part of the Indian squad for the upcoming Games as well.

India had also won two bronze medals at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta - one in the men's team event and another in mixed doubles. Sharath was part of the men's team that claimed bronze and also won a mixed doubles bronze alongside Manika Batra.

Batra, however, is not part of India's squad for the upcoming Asian Games, leaving a new generation of paddlers with the responsibility of maintaining the country's medal-winning run.