New Delhi: Tokyo Olympics bound para-athletes and those who have not yet qualified for the Games, are likely to resume sporting activities from October 5 at the National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) across the country, in a phased manner, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said on Sunday (September 27).
The SAI in the first phase in early June had allowed training for only Olympic-bound athletes at its various centres. Stepping up its ‘Khelo India Phir Se’ initiative, the SAI will now allow the resumption of activities in nine disciplines — cycling, hockey, weightlifting, archery, wrestling, Judo, athletics, boxing and fencing — apart from para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para shooting, para archery.
“To ensure complete safety of athletes, including following of quarantine protocols, SAI SOP and state COVID SOP, it has been decided that athletes, even those in the same discipline, will be inducted into sporting activities in batches. The first phase of sports resumption is likely to begin on October 5, 2020,” SAI said in a statement.
“It has therefore been decided that coaches, support staff who would be involved in training of athletes will also be housed in the NCOE so as to maintain the integrity of the bio-bubble for the safety of all athletes,” it said.
