New Delhi: Due to the delay in administering COVID-19 vaccine doses, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) had informed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) on Monday to seek urgent intervention from the Ministry of External Affairs after several Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes are awaiting vaccination.
Seven Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes, including star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, men’s freestyle wrestlers Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia, and boxers Manish Kaushik, Satish Kumar, Pooja Rani, and Simranjeet Kaur, had been awaiting COVID-19 vaccination before departing from their respective foreign training bases in preparation for the Tokyo Games.
Chopra had been based in Sweden, while boxers Kaushik, Kumar, Rani, and Kaur had been under training in Italy. Wrestlers Dahiya and Puniya had been in Russia. “In Sweden, Covishield (AstraZeneca) is available only for those above the age of 65,” SAI informed.
“Italy’s vaccination policy makes it difficult for the Indian boxers to receive their second shots of Covishield there while Russia has only Sputnik vaccine. It is likely that the Indians athletes and the support staff will get their second doses in the Indian missions in those countries.”
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) had previously written to the government, requesting that the boxers continue to train in Italy until the team departs for Tokyo. As a result, the four boxers and 11 coaches and support staff who were scheduled to return to India on July 8 would now be required to be vaccinated at their respective bases.
“Though the Tokyo Olympic Committee for the Games has not made it mandatory for the athletes and officials to be vaccinated against Covid-19, India decided to vaccinate its athletes, coaches, and support staff on a priority basis to ensure their safety” the SAI stated.
Furthermore, 17 more Tokyo-bound support staff personnel, based overseas, also anticipated the vaccination in due time. Whereas some other athletes had been scheduled to receive their second doses soon.
Shooters Rahi Sarnobat, Saurabh Chaudhary, and Deepak Kumar would be immunized in Zagreb, Croatia. Tennis star Ankita Raina would receive her second dose at the Indian High Commission in London, while Judoka Shushila Devi would receive her vaccination in Delhi.
