Key facts
- Indian badminton player H.S. Prannoy described the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as "sad" and "mediocre."
- Prannoy won a bronze medal in the men's team event at the Games.
- He cited the absence of a dedicated athletes' village and spread-out accommodation as detracting from the multi-sport event experience.
- Prannoy noted that singles players in badminton had to compete in two matches per day, which he deemed "cruel."
- Organizers apologized for logistical mistakes affecting athletes, including issues with accommodation and transport.
Indian badminton player H.S. Prannoy has voiced strong criticism of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, labeling the event "sad" for athletes and describing its competition schedule for his sport as "cruel." Prannoy, who secured a bronze medal in the men's team event, expressed disappointment with the accommodation arrangements, which saw athletes dispersed across hotels, temporary units, and a cruise ship, rather than a centralized athletes' village.
"The whole fun and the whole point of multi-sport events is you get to meet the rest of the players," Prannoy said in a video interview posted on the Badminton Association of India's YouTube channel on Saturday. "There is an opportunity to mingle with them. There is an opportunity to have a conversation with them. We only felt that when we went for the opening ceremony. It was literally sad to be in such a situation."