CHENNAI: Days after Sports Authority of India revised its Standard Operating Procedure for its various centres including National Centres of Excellence, three athletes and a coach tested positive for Covid in Patiala. The centre is hosting national camps in sports like athletics, weightlifting, judo and boxing. As soon NCOE Patiala got the revised SOP, 170 athletes underwent RT-PCR tests as per protocol keeping in view the alarming rise in the Covid cases.
“RT-PCR tests for 170 athletes were conducted in NSNIS Patiala as part of SAI Covid SOP on Tuesday. Results have revealed that three junior athletes and one coach are Covid positive. All four are asymptomatic and have been isolated as per SOP. There are no positive cases among national campers and training for them is continuing unhindered in a bio bubble,” SAI said in a statement.
It is learnt that Covid positive athletes include a judoka and a boxer. Those who returned positive will be re-tested after 10 days in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Punjab government. “If they return negative after 10 days, they will be allowed to join the camp again. A few reports have yet not been received,” informed a source tracking the development.