India’s Asian games cricket: Why Men’s team get separate hotel but Women’s team stay in games facilities

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has arranged separate accommodation for the Indian men’s cricket team at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The women’s team, meanwhile, will stay in facilities provided by the Games organising committee, The Times of India reported. 

The decision comes amid concerns over the size of the men’s contingent and the accommodation available to athletes in Nagoya. The Asian Games organisers have not created a traditional Games Village for the event, with participants being housed across hotels, cruise ships and container-based facilities.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the men’s team has a larger contingent because of the size of its support staff. The board reportedly decided to book an independent hotel to ensure that the entire group could stay together during the tournament.

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“BCCI has arranged its own arrangement for the men’s team since the contingent is much bigger than the permissible number of members because of the size of the support staff. We don’t want to segregate the men’s team during the tournament,” Saikia told The Times of India.

The rooms initially allotted to the men’s team did not have adequate space for players’ kit bags. Some athletes participating in the Asian Games reportedly faced delays while checking into their accommodation, adding to the concerns surrounding the arrangements. 

Women’s team to remain in official facilities

The Indian women’s cricket team will continue to stay in accommodation arranged by the organising committee. According to Saikia, the women’s contingent consists of 20 members, which is within the accommodation limit set by the organisers.

“The women’s team is staying in the facilities provided by the organising committee since the size of the contingent is within the permissible number of 20 members,” Saikia said.

The BCCI secretary also maintained that the board has confidence in the local organising committee’s ability to provide suitable facilities at the match venue, despite concerns raised over the quality of the cricket ground and other logistical arrangements.

India’s Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule

India’s women’s cricket team began its Asian Games 2026 campaign with a win against hosts Japan in the women’s quarter-final on September 18. After defeating their opponents in the knockout stages, India will face Sri Lanka in the women’s final on September 22, with the match set to decide the gold medal. 

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The Indian men’s team, meanwhile, will enter the tournament at the quarter-final stage, with its first match scheduled for September 28. The men’s semi-finals are slated for October 1, followed by the bronze-medal match and final on October 3. Both Indian teams are defending their gold medals from the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.