A night in a container: How Indian athletes prepare for an unusual Asian Games

The beds are just over six feet long, the walls are close, and there is little room for anything but the bare essentials.

But for some Indian athletes, a night spent in a shipping container at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) is less about discomfort and more about preparation for unusual living awaits them in Japan at the Asian Games.

With the Aichi-Nagoya Games starting on September 19, and without the traditional athletes’ village this time, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has set up makeshift container rooms at its centers in Patiala and Bengaluru to give its athletes a taste of what to expect in Japan.

The goal is to make the unknown known.

The athletes take turns spending the night inside the container, waking up the next morning and following their usual routine before heading out for training.

By the time they arrive in Japan, we hope they won’t disturb their accommodation anymore.

“Two years ago, when it was decided that the accommodation for the Asian Games would be in a unique style – containers, cruise etc – and not a village, the sports minister’s vision at that time was that the players had to acclimatise in a simulator-like manner,” SAI Deputy Director General Vineet Kumar told a select group of journalists from NSNIS, Patiala.

“And they don’t feel claustrophobic or what kind of accommodation we have come to. So they don’t feel shocked or fail and go play the games without any pressure,” added Kumar, who is also the senior executive director of NSNIS, Patiala.

TAJINDER TOOR WELCOME THE MOVE

Tajinder in one of India’s first container accommodation for athletes preparing to participate in the upcoming Asian Games (PTI Photo)

For athletes used to sprawling rooms and dedicated spaces for their gear, the compact environment may take some getting used to.

But two-time Asian Games shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor believes the preliminary training could make a difference.

“It looks small from outside but it is quite nice inside. All the facilities are here. It will be the first time we stay in such a congested environment, but after staying here, it is good that we acclimatised,” Toor told PTI.

“If we had gone straight to Japan, it would have stayed in our mind for a day or two,” added the six-foot-four-inch two-time Asian Games gold medalist.

This is precisely what SAI and the Ministry wanted to avoid.

“The psychology of a sportsperson is that if there is such a logistical problem, it will touch him. So the minister’s vision was that nothing like this happens and the players can concentrate on their game,” Kumar said.

A team from the ministry and SAI visited Japan on a familiarization trip before two simulation rooms in Patiala – one for men and one for women – were set up based on what is expected of Indian athletes.

“We have made the roster and the athletes are staying here gradually. They have to stay overnight so they know what to do in the morning,” Kumar said.

Training began on August 28, and so far about eight athletes have spent time in the container.

HARD SETUP: SEEMA

Discuster Seema Kaliramna in one of the makeshift containers (PTI Photo)

For Commonwealth Games bronze medalist discus player Seema Kaliramna, the experience took some adjusting to.

“I stayed here for two nights. It was a bit difficult to adjust because the throwers take up a bit more space and this is quite small. The second day was good, I could sleep well. The life of an athlete is a lot of adjustment, then just win something,” she said.

According to her, the simulation removed the element of uncertainty.

“Staying here will help us because we won’t feel claustrophobic. I’m grateful to SAI for doing this. Now the fear of not knowing how accommodation will be in Japan is gone. I feel better because we won’t be thinking about how it will be there and how we will feel,” she said.

Nevertheless, SAI tried to make the limited space as functional as possible.

Roughly 13 meters long and three meters wide, the unit has two shared bedrooms at either end, which are connected by a narrow central passage.

There are two split air conditioners, a small laundry room with a washing machine and a compact kitchenette with a refrigerator and a sink. The bathroom is divided into separate spaces for the sink, toilet and shower.

Four lockers provide storage space, while the space under the beds accommodates heavy gear bags – important for athletes traveling with bulky gear.

“The athletes have given positive feedback. They feel like ‘yeh jungle mei mangal kaise ho gaya’,” Kumar said.

There is also an element of sustainability in the experiment.

Two containers were already available at NSNIS, they were used during the Covid 19 pandemic to store weightlifting and athletics equipment. Their sporting purpose will end after the Asian Games simulation, but the containers themselves will remain in service. It is planned to convert them into guesthouses, with two beds removed and the creation of double rooms.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

04 Sep 2026 21:46 IST