Patiala: The towering Tajinder Pal Singh Toor was all smiles after spending a night in the specially designed shipping container which has been transformed into a prototype of the unique accommodation awaiting athletes at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, beginning September 19.
Any reservations the six-foot-four, 150kg shot-putter might have had about fitting into one of the beds or moving around inside the compact container repurposed as an accommodation facility were eased. After the experience, Toor gave positive feedback to Vineet Kumar, the Senior Executive Director at NSNIS Patiala, SAI.
The 40ft x 8 ft container has four beds, individual cupboards, a pantry, a refrigerator and washroom facilities smartly divided into toilet, shower and hand-wash zones, allowing more than one person to use the facilities at a time. There is an electric kettle and even a washing machine. The container is fitted with air conditioners, and there is space beneath the beds to keep playing kits.
It is a replica of the accommodation where Indian athletes will stay in Aichi-Nagoya. The Asian Games in Japan this time will not have a traditional Athletes’ Village. Instead, following a sustainable model, the organisers have opted for a makeshift accommodation arrangement. An Italian cruise ship, Costa Serena, docked at the Port of Nagoya, will house athletes in temporary accommodation made from shipping containers.
Besides, hotels are also being used to accommodate athletes but the prospect of staying in containers has been a talking point among them for some time.
{{/usCountry}}Besides, hotels are also being used to accommodate athletes but the prospect of staying in containers has been a talking point among them for some time.
{{/usCountry}}Toor and other Indian athletes now know what to expect in Aichi-Nagoya.
“There was some awkwardness initially, but I got used to it and it’s comfortable now. I am able to adjust in the bed. It’s amazing the way SAI has used it to develop this container and give us the experience we will have in Japan,” Toor told HT.
“The best part is we now know what to expect there and can accordingly manage our luggage too. The space could be a constraint. I was thinking of taking two bags, but now I will go with one,” said the two-time defending champion.
Discus thrower Seema Kaliramna has spent two nights in the container, and said the experience will be very different from Glasgow where they stayed in hotels.
“This is my first Asian Games and I was hoping for a proper Games Village. Throwers take up more space. So initially it was a bit difficult to adjust, but by the second day the feeling was much better. I was able to sleep well. Athletes always adapt. This acclimatization process will help us because you won’t feel claustrophobic when suddenly we get into small size rooms there,” said Seema who won bronze at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
The decision to provide accommodation prototypes for Aichi-Nagoya followed after a recce by Sports Ministry officials to Japan. The idea was to familiarise the athletes with the housing facility so they would not be surprised by the size of their accommodation in Japan.
SAI has built these prototypes in Patiala and Bengaluru, where the Asian Games-bound athletes are training. A roster has been prepared for athletes to use the facility turn by turn.
In Patiala, two containers have been converted into living quarters—one for male and one for female athletes. It helped that the containers were already available at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), having been used as equipment stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. The SAI has now transformed them into smart accommodation units, spending around ₹18 lakh on each facility.
“Athletes can acclimatise themselves before they go to Japan so that they don’t get any kind of claustrophobia and are mentally prepared to stay in this kind of accommodation,” said Vineet Kumar.
“Keeping this in mind, this was the vision of our Sports Minister (Mansukh Mandaviya) to prepare these smart containers here for the athletes’ stay. We have used a replica of what they will get there,” Kumar said.
“We want to prepare them for everything so that they can compete without any kind of pressure. They should get comfortable in this accommodation and not get a shock, which could have an effect on their training. The psychology of a player is important in competitions. Any kind of problem, be it logistical or otherwise, can sometimes impact their mental state and performance.
Kumar said fencers, boxers and weightlifters training at the Patiala camp had already spent nights at the facility.
“We have made a roster of them and athletes use it turn by turn. They acclimatise themselves. There is accommodation for four boys and four girls in the same container,” he said.
“The athletes are enjoying it. It is a sort of adventure trip for them. They felt how such facilities can be made in a container. There is everything they need inside the container. We have also made a pantry where they can cut and peel their food. It’s a complete unit for a stay for four people,” he said.
The experiment has given the athletes a taste of their unusual Asian Games accommodation before they leave for Japan, and ensured that the focus remains firmly on competition rather than the unfamiliarity of their surroundings.