New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Satwiksairaj Rankireddy said the Indian badminton contingent has largely settled into its accommodation ahead of the Asian Games, but admitted that a major transport delay on Wednesday left the players waiting for nearly six hours for a bus back to their hotel.

Asked about the accommodation arrangements and whether it had been difficult for a big-built athlete like him, Satwik said the players have been comfortable with the facilities, but they faced a significant delay in reaching their 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 while speaking to the media during a virtual interaction ahead of the Asian Games.

"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 widespread transport delays affecting athletes and officials from several countries and regions at Aichi Sky Expo, the venue next to Chubu Centrair International Airport.

According to a report by Xinhua, numerous delegations were left waiting for hours for transfers to their official accommodation after the on-site system failed to locate information for a large number of athletes. The issue prevented several athletes from boarding pre-arranged shuttle buses, while no official explanation was given for the reported problem.

Satwik also provided an update on his shoulder, saying extensive rehabilitation over the past two months has left him confident about handling the demands of the 10-day Asian Games.

“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 the individual competitions, making physical management particularly important for players such as Satwik and Chirag.

“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 Shetty will enter the Asian Games as defending men’s doubles champions after winning gold at the previous edition in Hangzhou.

--IANS

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