Japanese Touch To India’s Asian Games Preparations: Athletes Asked To Get Used To Sushi & Silence

Last Updated:January 20, 2026, 12:02 IST

Indian athletes adapt to Japanese food for Asian Games; SAI serves vegetarian sushi and onigiri at training centres.

Indian athletes have a task at hand before the Asian Games (Picture credit: AFP)

Indian athletes bound for the Asian Games in September have been asked to get used to eating Japanese food and Japanese culture ahead of the multi-sport tournament in Aichi-Nagoya later this year, in a bid to respect local culture, according to a report in The Times of India.

This includes learning to use chopsticks, maintaining silence while travelling on the team bus and greeting everyone with the traditional ‘Eshaku’ bow during the September 19-October 4 Games.

As per the report, the Sports Authority of India has gone a step further by introducing vegetarian sushi and onigiri at the cafeterias of its national centres of excellence, NIS Patiala and the Regional Centre in Bengaluru, as an early step to familiarise athletes with Japanese customs.

At the third Asian Games review meeting held in New Delhi on Monday, the agenda included a focus on ‘acclimatisation of athletes to food habits and cultural etiquette’, with workshops and sessions held at SAI-run centres to familiarise athletes with diverse cuisines and basic cultural norms.

The revamped menus at SAI centres now feature popular Japanese dishes, with chefs instructed to prepare and serve them alongside the athletes’ regular nutrition-focused diets.

New habits are tough to adopt. As per the report, athletes have been hesitant about the new cuisine, with early feedback proving less than encouraging.

“At the Hangzhou Asiad in 2023, the athletes’ village or competition venues didn’t have Indian breads and lentil was not to their liking. You will find an Asian meal, not Indian food," a source told The Times of India. 

“In that context, it’s important for athletes to develop a taste for a couple of local dishes. The authorities always try their best to have Indian food on the menu at the Games, but there are only a limited number of items," the source added.

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