Tokyo Olympics 2020: Games-bound athletes among 148 to receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, says IOA

New Delhi: As many as 148 athletes across all sports, including those who have qualified for the upcoming Tokyo Games, have already received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination, according to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Out of these 148 athletes, 17 have got both the doses and 131 have received their first shot, IOA president Narinder Batra said. These 148 include potential athletes who can make it to the Tokyo Olympics which open on 23 July. Besides this, 13 Tokyo Paralympic-bound athletes have got their first vaccine shot while two have received both doses. The Tokyo Paralympics opens on 24 August. The total number of athletes (including para-athletes), who have got at least their first dose till 20 May, is 163. Giving the ‘vaccination status of Tokyo-bound Indian athletes and officials in the long list as on 20 May’, Batra said 87 officials have got single dose of COVID-19 vaccine while 23 are fully vaccinated. More than 90 Indian athletes across sports have so far qualified for the Tokyo Olympics which was postponed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Olympic-bound shooters who are currently training in Croatia will be vaccinated there as they are expected to directly fly to Tokyo from there, the NRAI has said. Some of them have already got their first jabs in India before departing for Croatia and they will get their second dose in that country. Fencer Bhavani Devi also got her first jab at her training base in Italy while weightlifter Mirabai Chanu is expected to get her shots in the United States.