Cricket teams competing at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan will be free to arrange their own accommodation rather than use the hotels offered for the event, as officials address concerns surrounding lodging and facilities ahead of the tournament.
The cricket competitions will be staged at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, with the women’s event running from September 17 to 22 and the men’s competition from September 24 to October 3. The venue, developed for cricket within a limited preparation window, hosted the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier earlier this year.
Cricket teams offered hotel accommodation
Japan Cricket Association CEO Naoki Alex Miyaji told PTI: “The JCA has provided support in some areas but is not directly involved so I am no able to directly answer all of your questions. What I can say is that all parties are working hard to ensure the success of Cricket in the Asian Games. I can also assure you that the ACC have been discussing accommodation options with AINAGOC for a long time. The participating teams in cricket are being offered hotel accommodation.”
Accommodation has become one of the key logistical issues surrounding preparations for the Games, which will bring thousands of athletes and officials to Aichi and Nagoya. Cricket teams are expected to stay in hotels in Nagoya, around 20km from the playing venue.
Miyaji added: “Many other sports are being accommodated in much more limited facilities such as a cruise ship or container hotels. The teams are free to arrange their own accommodation if they chose to do so.”
More than 17,000 athletes and officials registered before the July Entry by Name deadline, including approximately 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials. Accommodation across the wider Games is being provided through different types of facilities rather than a conventional central athletes’ village.
Organisers address wider accommodation concerns
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC) have separately addressed questions over whether sufficient accommodation has been secured for participants.
In an official statement, the organisations said: “Further to incorrect media reports regarding issues in securing accommodation for official Asian Games Participants, the Olympic Council of Asia and the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC) can confirm the following: All the 17,000+ athletes and officials that are registered for the Asian Games before the closing of Entry by Name in July have been provided with Games-appropriate accommodation.”
The organisers continued: “Unless there are exceptional circumstances, no further registrations have been or will be permitted. The final preparations are on track and progressing smoothly ahead of what promises to be the most spectacular Asian Games in generations.”
Temporary facilities planned at cricket venue
Preparations at Korogi Sports Park have also included temporary infrastructure for players and officials. The ground was converted from a baseball facility and completed in March, with permanent facilities around the venue supplementing those created specifically for the competition.
Miyaji said: “Please note that toilets will be available within the player area. There are both temporary and permanent facilities at the venue. The facilities on the ground are temporary, but AINAGOC have worked very closely with the ACC for over a year now to ensure that the best facilities are provided within the limited timeline and facility restrictions.”
The development of the cricket venue began without an existing facility of the required standard in Aichi Prefecture.
Miyaji explained: “They only had 17 months to prepare and had to start from scratch as there were no Cricket venues of any standard in Aichi Prefecture. Considering the limited time and resources available, AINAGOC and ACC have worked together to ensure that the playing facilities are suitable.”
Sri Lanka Cricket supports pitch preparations
The playing area will feature turf and hybrid pitches, with Sri Lanka Cricket providing curators to assist with their preparation. Korogi Sports Park’s earlier staging of the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier provided international competitive use of the venue before the Asian Games.
Miyaji noted: “It will be a full size ground with turf and hybrid pitches prepared by the best curators which Sri Lanka Cricket should be credited for providing. There are limits on what they can do within these tight limits, but from what I have seen, the playing surface and field will be the best seen in Cricket’s inclusion in the Asian Games.”
Away from the venue preparations, the JCA has focused part of its role on building local engagement around cricket. Its activities have included taking the sport into schools and shopping centres, with support from Nisshin City as Japan prepares to welcome leading teams from across Asia.
Asian cricket prepares for Japan showcase
The men’s competition will feature Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka alongside hosts Japan and qualifiers Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Oman.
For the JCA, the tournament also represents an opportunity to stage elite Asian cricket in Japan on a scale the country has not previously hosted.
Miyaji added: “Cricket will be one of the largest sports in the Asian Games. It will also be the first time the top Cricket teams of Asia will be playing in Japan.”
With accommodation allocated for registered Games participants and work on the cricket venue entering its final stages, the women’s competition is scheduled to begin on September 17, followed by the men’s tournament from September 24.
