Delhi. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Tuesday said it has increased grassroots support for Indian athletes participating in the Asian Games in Japan. Under this, along with arranging transportation for the shooters, rooms have also been arranged for those coaches and support staff who could not get accommodation from the organizing committee.
SAI made arrangements
SAI said that among other measures, cars have also been arranged for the medical teams so that they can move easily between the competition venues and provide timely medical aid to the players. “Rooms have been made available by the organizing committee for those coaches and support staff for whom accommodation could not be arranged due to limited availability,” SAI said.
“A dedicated welcome and assistance team consisting of representatives from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), SAI and the Indian Embassy in Japan has been deployed at the airport to welcome the arriving athletes, coaches and support staff,” SAI said in a press release. The desk is responsible for assisting athletes with arrival formalities as well as providing refreshments and guidance for onward journey to the Games venues and accommodation. The shooting site, located in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, is more than 75 kilometers from Nagoya.
Team India players without food and room
There were reports that the shooters were not getting timely transportation facilities from the local organizing committee, which was affecting their practice and competition schedules. “Transport services to and from the competition venues have been made available to assist the Indian shooters,” SAI said.
The organizers have faced international criticism over the chaos prevailing at the Games before the opening ceremony. Players from many countries including India had complained about the long delay in getting accommodation. Apart from this, there were also complaints about players not getting refreshments on time.
SAI promised all possible help
Some players, tired from the long journey, were forced to sleep on the floor. SAI said that all possible assistance will be provided to the 501-member Indian sports contingent. Earlier, the Sports Ministry had said that the help of the NRI community has also been sought in dealing with the housing crisis and a large number of people have offered assistance. India had won 106 medals in the last Asian Games.
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