Imagine braving a 45-minute bus ride from the Olympic Village to the Table Tennis Arena on one of the hottest days of the Games. And it was a non-air-conditioned coach. For one Indian boxer, it felt like a “journey to hell”.
”There was a small vent for ventilation but you couldn’t open the windows. Hence, it was very suffocating. I was sweating even before I entered the arena. It was cooler outside than inside the bus,” the Indian athlete said, as reported by Indian Express.
She is not alone in her complaints. The heat is just one of the many issues facing the elite athletes who have gathered in Paris for the 2024 Games. Despite a budget nearing $9 billion, the visiting athletes and officials at the Games are experiencing transportation woes, sleepless nights due to hunger and worries about their personal belongings.
A Japanese rugby player reported losing his wedding ring, while an Australian coach mentioned a stolen credit card. The cramped bedrooms have been mocked by the Americans. South Korean swimmers left after just one day, citing transport problems. The Indian athletes have expressed dissatisfaction with the food, calling it inadequate and rationed — Team Great Britain even brought their own chef.
For countless athletes, the sprawling Olympic Village is supposed to be their “home”. But for many, it’s anything but comforting.
Indian athletes have alleged that from sleeping to transportation, everything is a miss in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Badminton doubles star Chirag Shetty echoed this sentiment, saying it “wasn’t the best”. Boxer Amit Panghal has resorted to ordering dal and roti for dinner from a nearby Indian restaurant. Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu, after advancing to the knockout rounds on Wednesday, mentioned that while the fan in her room worked during the hottest night of the Olympics so far, she was uncertain if others were able to sleep comfortably.
France’s ‘green Olympics’ a flop show?
In an effort to reduce the carbon footprint, the Paris Olympics organisers decided against installing air conditioning in the athletes’ rooms. However, this well-intentioned initiative did not account for the heat wave that struck Paris, leaving many Olympians sweating in cramped quarters.
Earlier this week, American tennis star Coco Gauff shared a video on TikTok showing the living quarters of her and her teammates. The video, accompanied by screaming sound effects, featured a caption that read: ’10 girls, two bathrooms’.
An Indian table tennis player mentioned that the ‘cardboard’ beds were so uncomfortable that they had difficulty ‘sleeping peacefully’ for the first few nights.
Supply problems have plagued the football-field-sized dining area — a 3,500-seater hall feeding around 15,000 people and serving up to 40,000 meals per day — from the very first day.
Badminton player Tanisha Crasto recounted a day when rajma was on the menu, but it was gone before they could get any, and the containers weren’t refilled. According to the leading French sports newspaper The teamit’s not just vegetarian items being rationed; eggs and grilled meats have also been in short supply.
An official from the Indian contingent reported that they had raised the issue with the organisers, and normal service was gradually being restored. The official said that they had cautioned the athletes about ordering food from outside, as the quality of the food cannot be guaranteed.
Transportation challenges
Meanwhile, the Indian team is preparing for other challenges that “are within their control”. Chief among these concerns is transportation.
The Indian contingent at the 2024 Olympics has a station wagon, a mini SUV, two minivans, and four additional vehicles to be on standby to transport athletes from the Village to various Games venues scattered throughout Paris.
First Published: Aug 01 2024 | 3:26 PM IS