India’s shooting contingent’s arrival in Aichi-Nagoya for the 2026 Asian Games quickly turned into a genuine ordeal, with accommodation, food and transport problems dominating the team’s first hours in Japan.
## What Went Wrong
The 30-member shooting squad reached Nagoya at 9am but waited until 2am at the accommodation verification centre, with no food or water provided during the extended wait, according to an official from the contingent. The team was ultimately split between two hotels roughly 400 metres apart, after one property lacked sufficient rooms for the full squad.
## A Booking That Didn’t Match Reality
In one particularly confusing episode, shooter Rahi Sarnobat’s room had been properly booked by the Indian Olympic Association and appeared correctly in organisers’ records, yet the room was unavailable when the team tried to check in, forcing an improvised solution at a separate property entirely.
## The Human Cost
Athletes ended up moving their own luggage, including heavy shooting equipment and ceremonial uniforms, between properties after their original transport had already departed. Male team members reportedly made multiple trips to help female teammates, with the group not completing check-in until between 5am and 5:30am, more than eight hours after landing.
## More Problems the Next Day
When shooters attempted to return to training on September 17, they faced further transport delays, undermining preparation time just before competition began.
## The Response
The Indian Olympic Association deployed additional officials and buses to manage the situation, effectively running a parallel support system alongside the Games’ official arrangements.
## The Bottom Line
Despite this genuinely chaotic start, India’s shooters still delivered five medals in the opening days of competition, a response that makes their on-field success all the more impressive given the circumstances leading into it.