Tokyo Olympics 2020-bound para-athletes and players in nine disciplines to resume training from 5 October, says SAI

Tokyo Olympics bound para-athletes and those who have not yet qualified for the Games, are likely to resume sporting activities at the National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) across the country from 5 October in a phased manner, the SAI said on Sunday. The Sports Authority of India (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 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. The SAI has also directed its regional centres to maintain the bio-bubble (zoning) to ward off any possible chance of transmission of the virus among trainees at the NCOEs. “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.