New Delhi, 05 March (H.S.): Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a high-level meeting at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) headquarters today to scrutinize preparations for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, assuring over 700 anticipated Indian athletes across more than 40 sports of comprehensive support.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, SAI, and allied bodies presented detailed updates, emphasizing seamless provisions in training, logistics, player welfare, and competition readiness to propel India beyond its record 106 medals from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

A 15-member oversight committee—comprising Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha, Chef-de-Mission Sahdev Yadav, Deputy Chef-de-Mission Sharath Kamal, and others—has convened four meetings since December 2025, focusing on training strategies, logistics, and athlete well-being.Our athletes are our top priority, Dr. Mandaviya affirmed.

They will receive holistic backing encompassing training, sports science, logistics, kits, nutrition, and medical care, enabling uninterrupted preparation and a medal surge at the continental showpiece. He stressed inter-stakeholder coordination to shatter records through meticulous planning.

Technical and Athlete-Centric Measures

Each National Sports Federation has designated a nodal officer for the Asian Games technical handbook, briefing players, coaches, and support staff on sport-specific rules. Teams will finalize early for optimal training windows, with enhanced medical and support staffing. Coordination with Indian embassies abroad ensures logistics, while federations have autonomy for exposure tours; extra support staff will deploy at challenging venues.

The Games adopt a five-cluster model across Aichi, Gifu, Shizuoka, and airport-expo zones—sans a single Olympic Village—prompting tailored travel, recovery, and medical plans. To acclimatize athletes, SAI's Patiala and Bengaluru centers will install mock container-style accommodations mirroring event housing.

An IOA delegation inspected venues, facilities, and logistics in Japan this January, informing cluster-specific staffing. Discussions covered Indian cuisine provisions, chief medical officer appointments, timely kits, and sport-wise performance audits.

The next committee meeting on March 20 will finalize squad size, travel, and operations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar