NEW DELHI: The last 48 hours saw a lot of controversy after the names of Neeraj Chopra, Shivpal Singh and four others were included in the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) start list for the Indian Grand Prix (IGP) slated for Patiala on March 20. All six athletes were supposed to be quarantined upon arrival from overseas as per protocol. Sports minister Kiren Rijiju reiterated on Thursday what this paper reported a day earlier. “Athletes who are coming back from countries which are prone to coronavirus will be quarantined as per the government provisions. There will be no exception. Anybody who has come from abroad is being put in isolation and athletes also have to adhere to it,” Rijiju said. The IGP and Federation Cup have been postponed after the latest ministry directive which stated that there should be no competitions or trials till April 15.
Another issue was created when Olympic quota-winning boxer Simranjit Kaur was felicitated by the Punjab government, despite the Boxing Federation of India — following orders from the sports ministry — asking her to self-isolate. She was coming back from Jordan via Abu Dhabi and was previously training in Italy, which is one of the worst-hit countries. The minister, however, gave Simranjit the all-clear, advising self-isolation.
“They have been tested and given coronavirus negative certificates by the International Olympic Committee which conducted the meet in Jordan. They are not in danger but it is advisable that they stay in isolation,” he said. The latest advisory also mentions that outsiders are not allowed in national camps where Olympic-bound athletes or Olympic hopefuls are training. “We have made exceptions only for those who have qualified for Olympics and those who are on the verge of qualifying. They are allowed to train in national camps. Outsiders are completely prohibited,” Rijiju said.
This is why athletes like M Sreeshankar and Dutee Chand were sent home from Patiala as they are not part of the national camp. Asked about the fate of the IPL, which was suspended from March 29 to April 15 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Rijiju refused to give a clear answer. “The government will come up with new guidelines and advisories post April 15. BCCI is a body which handles cricket, which is not an Olympic sport. Another thing to remember is that health of citizens comes first. If an event of the magnitude of the IPL takes place, thousands of people will come to watch,” he added.
Rijiju also refused to be drawn into questions whether the Olympics will take place at all after elite athletes like Parupalli Kashyap complained on Twitter. “Nobody should raise a question about the Olympics at the moment. Nobody knows what the situation will be in three months. However, we have to respond to an emerging situation as per the directions of the international bodies and the respective sovereign governments,” he said.