New Delhi, September 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian badminton star Satwiksairaj Rankireddy said the contingent has largely settled into its accommodation ahead of the Asian Games, but revealed that a transport disruption on Wednesday left the players waiting for nearly six hours for a bus to their hotel.
Speaking during a virtual media interaction ahead of the Games, Satwik said the accommodation arrangements have been comfortable, with the badminton contingent staying together at a five-star hotel.
“I think we kind of find it’s pretty much good for us. We are staying in a hotel. All the badminton people are staying in one hotel. It’s kind of normal. Five-star hotel we are staying in. Everything is perfect,” Satwik said.
“The only issue was yesterday we waited so long for the bus to come from Ecclesion Hall to the hotel. We almost waited for six hours or so. So, only that was the issue yesterday. But otherwise, we are kind of settled now. We have… Everything seems positive and quite okay,” he added.
Satwik’s comments came amid reports of transport delays affecting athletes and officials from several countries and regions at Aichi Sky Expo, located next to Chubu Centrair International Airport.
According to a Xinhua report, several delegations were left waiting for hours for transfers to their official accommodation after the on-site system reportedly failed to locate information for a large number of athletes. The reported issue prevented some athletes from boarding pre-arranged shuttle buses, while no official explanation was provided for the disruption.
Satwik also gave an update on his shoulder, saying extensive rehabilitation over the past two months has helped him regain confidence ahead of the 10-day competition.
“I’ve been doing rehab a lot in the last two months because I was injured. I think China Open, as I said, gave us a lot of confidence. I’m in good shape. There’s no need to panic. I can play five matches in a row. That was a testament for me,” he said.
The badminton competition will begin with the team events before moving into the individual competitions, making physical management particularly important for players such as Satwik and Chirag Shetty.
“We generally play for only five days or so. But it’s a 10-day tournament. There will be a lot of travelling. There will be a lot of sitting in the team event matches. You need to manage your body. You need to have good food after a match. I think it all matters in this longer tournament,” Satwik said.
Satwik and Chirag will enter the Asian Games as defending men’s doubles champions after winning gold at the previous edition in Hangzhou.
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