Sharath Kamal: Indian athletes will adapt to container and cruise-ship accommodation at Asian Games

A. Sharath Kamal, India’s deputy chef-de-mission, said in New Delhi on September 16, 2026 that Indian athletes will adapt to container-style rooms and cruise-ship accommodation at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games beginning September 19. He expressed confidence that the arrangements will not pose a significant challenge to the competitors.

India’s contingent of 501 athletes and 265 officials will be lodged across container rooms, a docked cruise ship and commercial hotels, joining nearly 17,000 other participants expected to be in Aichi-Nagoya for the Games. The container rooms have attracted criticism from the South Korean delegation and concerns have been raised by some Asian Cricket Council members about accommodation quality.

Sharath said his greater concern was for officials who did not have the same acclimatisation opportunities as athletes, and described preparations undertaken by the Sports Authority of India. "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," said Sharath, who is also the vice chair of the Athletes Commission of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Organisers plan to house around 4,000-5,000 athletes on the cruise liner Costa Serena to be docked at Nagoya Port, and approximately 2,000 athletes in converted shipping container units at the Garden Pier in Nagoya Bay. The remaining participants will be accommodated at commercial hotels located near competition venues across Aichi prefecture and in Tokyo, where certain events will be held.

Turning to India’s prospects in table tennis, Sharath said he expects at least one medal from the country’s paddlers and cited recent results as a basis for that optimism. "I expect to win at least one medal, if not two. Last time, we got one medal in women's double. And prior to that, we got two bronze medals in 2018," Sharath said.

Sharath highlighted specific medal chances in doubles and mixed doubles and named the players he is backing. He said: "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," and identified the men's doubles pair as Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah and the mixed doubles pairing as Manush Shah and Diya Chitale.

India’s table tennis squad comprises a 10-member team — five men and five women — with Sutirtha Mukherjee included after she and Ayhika Mukherjee won bronze in the last edition, while Manika Batra is not part of the team. Sharath, who retired in 2025 after competing in five Olympics and four Asian Games, is 44 years old and serves as India’s deputy chef-de-mission.

Table tennis competitions at the Asian Games are scheduled to take place from September 20 to 28.