India to install container living units at SAI centres for 2026 Asian Games preparations
At the 2026 Asian Games, athletes will be accommodated in luxury cruise and containers instead of the traditional Games village as a cost cutting measure.
In a bid to help athletes familiarise with the living conditions at the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, India is all set to install special makeshift container units at the Sports Authority of India regional centres in Patiala and Bengaluru.
The decision was taken at a high-level committee meeting to review India's preparations for the Asian Games, chaired by the union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
At the 2026 Asian Games, athletes will be accommodated in luxury cruise and containers instead of the traditional Games village as a cost cutting measure.
The 15-member committee for Asian Games 2026 preparation review, includes Shri Hari Ranjan Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, PT Usha, President, Indian Olympic Association, Sh. Sahdev Yadav, Asian Games Chef de Mission, Sharath Kamal, Deputy Chef de Mission and others.
India is expected to field over 700 athletes in more than 40 sports at the quadrennial continental games. If it happens, this will be India's biggest-ever contingent at the Asian Games, surpassing the 655 athletes who represented the country in the previous edition three years ago in Hangzhou, China.
The meeting also discussed appointing a head medical doctor for the contingent, and finalising Indian food options with the help of designated SAI culinary staff.
"Our athletes are our top priority. Every possible support, from training and sports science to logistics, kit support, food support and medical care, will be provided so that they can prepare without distractions and deliver their best at the Asian Games. Our aim is not to make them suffer at any cost and ensure they remain focused in increasing our medal tally at the competition," said minister Mandaviya in the meeting.
The next meeting is scheduled for March 20, where final discussions on contingent size, logistics, travel arrangements and operational readiness will be taken up as India moves into the decisive phase of its preparations for the continental sporting spectacle.
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