‘All are treated equally by us’ – IOA draws line on special treatment for cricket players at Asian Games

Indian cricket team ke players ki lifestyle hamesha se hi king-size rahi hai. Chahe woh private jets ho ya phir world-class five-star hotels, humare cricketers ko hamesha best facilities milti hain. Lekin, jab baat multi-sport events ki aati hai, toh rules sabke liye ek jaise hote hain. Aisa hi kuch dekhne ko mil raha hai upcoming tournament ke liye, jahan Indian Olympic Association ne saaf kar diya hai ki **Asian Games 2026 cricket** players ke liye koi special treatment ya alag se luxury accommodation arrange nahi kiya jayega. IOA ka manna hai ki unke liye sabhi sports aur athletes bilkul barabar hain.

Nagoya, Japan mein hone wale is mahayudh mein Bharat ki men’s aur women’s dono cricket teams hissa lene ja rahi hain. Lekin is baar unhe five-star comfort chhodkar baki athletes ki tarah normal hotels mein rukna hoga, jo ki standard protocol ka hissa hai.

No VIP Treatment: IOA Ka Bada Faisla

IOA ne yeh bilkul clear kar diya hai ki woh Nagoya mein chal rahe global rules se alag nahi jayenge. Indian cricketers, jo aamtaur par bade luxury hotels ke suites mein akele rukte hain, unhe is baar twin-sharing rooms mein rehna hoga.

Rules ke mutabik, men’s cricket team ko Nagoya mein ek three-star hotel, jiska naam APA Hotel Nagoya Ekimae hai, wahan jagah di gayi hai. Wahi dusri taraf, humari women’s cricket team ko four-star Meitetsu Grand Hotel mein stay diya jayega. Yeh dono hi hotels us standard se kafi alag hain jiske humare superstars aadi hain. IOA ne saaf kaha hai ki unka maqsad sabhi 36 sports ke athletes ko ek samaan treat karna hai, aur kisi ek sport ko extra preference dena galat hoga.

BCCI Aur IOA Ke Beech Discussion

Is accommodation policy ko lekar BCCI ne thodi chinta jatayi thi. BCCI ke CEO Hemang Amin ne is silsile mein IOA ke CEO Raghuram Iyer se baat ki thi. Raghuram Iyer ne bataya ki unki baat kafi positive rahi aur unhone BCCI ke concerns ko suna hai.

Raghuram Iyer ne bataya ki BCCI CEO Hemang Amin ne unse sampark kiya tha aur dono ke beech kafi acchi baat-cheet hui hai. Unhone kaha ki agar BCCI chahe toh woh apni ek advance team Japan bhej kar facilities ko check kar sakti hai, aur IOA ko isse koi dikkat nahi hai. Raghuram Iyer ke mutabik, advance team ke assessment ke baad BCCI khud yeh faisla le sakti hai ki unhe official facilities ka use karna hai ya phir apne kharche par khud ka koi alag arrangement karna hai. Yeh poora maamla BCCI aur local organisers ke beech ka hai. IOA ka kaam pure Indian contingent ki dekhbhal karna hai.

BCCI Ke Paas Kya Options Hain?

Agar BCCI ko lagta hai ki unke players ko extra comfort ki zaroorat hai, toh unke paas alag se hotel book karne ka option zaroor hai. Lekin, IOA ne ispar bhi kuch shartein rakh di hain:

• Pura Kharcha: Agar players official accommodation se bahar rukte hain, toh unke rehne, khane aur transport ka sara kharcha khud BCCI ko uthana hoga.
• Timely Arrival: Match ke din players ko sahi samay par stadium tak pahunchane ki puri zimmadari bhi BCCI ki hi hogi. Organisers iski responsibility nahi lenge.
• Protocols Aur Security: Alag rehne ke baad bhi players Games system se bahar nahi honge. Unhe sabhi security rules, accreditation cards aur access protocols ko follow karna hi hoga.

Nagoya Mein Accommodation Ka Bada Crisis

Is baar Aichi-Nagoya mein accommodation ko lekar kafi pressure dekhne ko mil raha hai. Pehle chal rahi planning ke mutabik lagbhag 15,000 athletes aur coaches ke aane ki umeed thi, lekin ab yeh number badhkar 17,000 tak pahunch gaya hai.

Is bade crowd ko manage karne ke liye organisers ko kafi papad belne pad rahe hain. Unhone standard hotels ke sath-sath mobile accommodations aur Costa Serena cruise ship tak ko use karne ka faisla kiya hai taki sabhi ko jagah di ja sake. Aise mein cricketers ko alag se five-star facility dena organisers ke liye bhi mushkil khadi kar sakta hai.

Anti-Doping Aur Strict Rules

Agar **BCCI** apne cricketers ke liye kisi dusre hotel ka intezam karti hai, toh unhe strict anti-doping guidelines ka palan karna hoga. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) aur International Testing Agency (ITA) ke dope-control officers ko players ki live location ke baare mein har pal pata hona chahiye taki random drug tests kiye ja sakein. Rules break karne par bada nuksaan ho sakta hai.

Team Schedule Aur Captaincy Ki Details

Is mega event ke liye dono teams ki taiyari shuru ho chuki hai. Humari women’s team, jiske kamaan **Harmanpreet Kaur** ke hatho mein hai, woh Dubai mein Asia Cup khelne ke baad 13 September 2026 ko wapas aayegi aur 14 September ko seedhe Nagoya ke liye fly karegi. Unka pehla match 18 September ko quarterfinals se shuru hoga aur final 22 September ko khela jayega.

Wahi dusri taraf, men’s team ke captain **Shreyas Iyer** honge. Yeh team 21 September 2026 ko Japan ke liye rawana hogi. Asian Games se theek pehle, Bharat aur Japan ke beech 22 September ko ek bilateral T20 International match khela jayega, jo Suzuki Cup ka hissa hai. Yeh match dono deshon ke beech 75 saal ke diplomatic relations ko celebrate karne ke liye rakha gaya hai, jo Indian team ko wahan ki pitch conditions samajhne mein madad karega. Iske baad, men’s team ka campaign 28 September se lekar 4 October tak chalega.