6 days ago
Cricket Boards Raise Asian Games Venue and Accommodation Concerns
Cricket will be played at the Asian Games in Japan.
The cricket ground was recently changed from a baseball field.
Some cricket boards worry that the new pitch has not been tested enough.
They also say the venue does not have proper changing rooms.
Players may stay in hotel rooms that are too small for their bags and equipment.
The Asian Cricket Council plans to inspect the ground and hotels.
India’s women’s team will play Japan first in the women’s competition.
India’s men’s team will practice before entering the tournament at the quarterfinal stage.
Cricket boards have questioned the recently laid hybrid pitch at Korogi Sports Park.
The venue was converted from a baseball ground and has temporary stands for about 2,000 spectators.
Teams also reported inadequate dressing rooms and hotel rooms too small for players and kitbags.
The Asian Cricket Council plans to inspect the venue and player accommodations.
India is expected to arrive around September 14 or 15, ahead of its competitions.
- Who
- Asian cricket boards, the Asian Cricket Council, and participating teams including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
- What
- Officials raised concerns about the Asian Games cricket pitch, facilities and player accommodations.
- Where
- Cricket will be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, near Nagoya, Japan, with players staying in Nagoya hotels.
- When
- The cricket tournament begins September 17; the men’s competition begins September 28, and India is expected around September 14 or 15.
- Why
- The venue was converted from a baseball ground only recently, while the pitch has had limited testing and the hotel rooms are reportedly very small.
Key facts
- Venue
- Korogi Sports Park, a remodeled baseball facility in Nisshin, Japan.
- Pitch
- A recently laid hybrid surface consisting mostly of natural grass with some polyethylene fibers.
- Venue capacity
- Temporary stands can accommodate about 2,000 people.
- Tournament start
- The cricket competition begins September 17; the men’s competition begins September 28.
- Accommodation
- Cricketers will stay in hotels in Nagoya because the Games will not have a conventional Athletes’ Village.
- Inspection
- The Asian Cricket Council plans to send representatives to inspect the venue and accommodations.
- India’s schedule
- India’s women are scheduled to open against Japan, while the men received a quarterfinal bye.
Quotes
An unnamed official
Official discussing players’ hotel accommodation in Nagoya
“It is a very rudimentary ground, and there remains a question mark over the quality of the pitch. It has been laid very recently and, apart from one tournament, that too in May, hasn’t been tested much. There are no proper dressing rooms as well.”
indianexpress.com
“It is a genuine problem, since the rooms are very tiny. If one player opens a kitbag, there won’t be much space left to stand. We are trying to figure out a solution to this problem.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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