New Delhi: Sports Authority of India (SAI) Director General Sandip Pradhan stated on Wednesday that additional accommodations had already been arranged in the Japanese capital to meet the quarantine needs of India’s Olympic delegation in case any of them tested positive for COVID-19 during the Tokyo Olympics.
The Tokyo Olympics will begin on July 23, and contingency plans had been in place to deal with any situation that might arise as a result of the raging pandemic. Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the event, more than 100 Indian athletes who qualified for the Games had set a high standard.
Consequently, Indian athletes will be subjected to a three-day quarantine upon arrival, as well as daily testing during their stay in Tokyo. When asked what is he expecting from India in Tokyo, Pradhan said, “My expectations can’t be different from what the Minister (outgoing Kiren Rijiju) said.”
The Olympics preparations had been fraught with difficulties, and Pradhan admitted that managing logistics in the midst of a pandemic had been difficult. COVID-19 cases have also been reported at various SAI centers in Patiala and Bengaluru and Bhopal as well.
“During the second wave many of our athletes at the Bhopal center tested positive and the doctor had advised 15-20 of them to get admitted, that was a difficult time,” Pradhan said. In March of this year, 26 athletes and four support staff tested positive for COVID-19 at SAI Patiala, while 36 people, including 24 athletes, tested positive at SAI Bhopal.
