Aichi-Nagoya, which is set to host the 2026 Asian Games, has been hit by record flooding just 10 days before the continental competition. Rainfall battered parts of the central Japanese city on Tuesday, September 8, flooding dozens of roads and homes, while temporarily disrupting bus and subway services and forcing around 3,500 people to seek shelter at emergency evacuation centres.
Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa revealed that around 400 athletes and staff who have already arrived in the city were briefly evacuated to higher ground. Japanese media also showed extensive flooding across the city, including inundated streets and metro stations.
News agency AP reported that there were also instances of leaking roofs, but Hirosawa said there was no serious damage to the dozens of Asian Games venues.
“We are not worried about the conditions of the venues and we believe there is no problem holding the Asian Games as planned,” Hirosawa told reporters.
The Asian Games will open in Nagoya and surrounding areas on September 19 and run until October 4.
INDIA’S ASIAN GAMES SQUAD
The Sports Ministry on Wednesday approved a contingent of 246 team officials and coaches for the 503 athletes who will compete at the 20th Asian Games, with athletics and cricket getting the largest support staff for the showpiece in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The ministry had originally approved 492 athletes in 35 disciplines for the Games but, as expected, a few names have since been added, mainly to the athletics squad, which has grown from 73 to 79 athletes.
Four surfers have also been approved, taking India’s participation to 36 disciplines.
India’s total contingent strength now stands at 768, including 19 contingent staff such as chef de mission Sahdev Yadav and chief medical officer Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala.
The athletics contingent, which will be without injured javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra, has the largest support staff of 31 members, including 20 coaches led by national coach P Radhakrishnan.
Chopra’s coach Jai Chaudhary and physio Ishaan Marwaha nonetheless feature in the support staff list, alongside James Hillier, the Athletics Director and Head Coach of the Reliance Foundation, who is closely associated with sprinter Gurindervir Singh.
The men’s and women’s cricket teams, who will be aiming for a second successive gold medal at the Games, have been sanctioned a support staff of 20, spearheaded by VVS Laxman for the men’s team and Amol Muzumdar for the women’s team.
The two squads have been given the entire support staff that usually accompanies them, including cricket operations officer Maroof Fajandar, who has been named Team Leader.
The 40-member hockey group, featuring the men’s and women’s teams, has been granted a support staff of 14, including six coaches and three physiotherapists.
The shooting contingent, led by double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, will be assisted by a support staff of 17, including 11 coaches.
For the 20-member badminton squad, national coach Pullela Gopichand will travel along with foreign coaches Irwansyah of Indonesia and Tan Kim Her of Malaysia.
– Ends
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