CHENNAI: Even as Deepak Punia got discharged from the SAI empanelled hospital in Sonepat, another wrestler, Rahul Aware, tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted at the same facility on Sunday evening.
The national camp for the senior men’s squad, however, will continue despite four grapplers returning positive since the commencement of the camp on September 1.
Earlier, Punia (86kg), Navin (65kg) and Krishan (125kg) had tested positive. “Freestyle wrestler Aware (57kgs), who had reported to the ongoing camp at SAI Sonepat on September 4 and was given SAI’s mandatory COVID-19 RT-PCR test on arrival, has tested positive for the virus. As per protocol, Aware has now been shifted to a SAI empanelled hospital as a precautionary measure and for further monitoring,” said a SAI statement.
The statement also added that the Maharashtra wrestler has been in quarantine since his arrival at the camp and didn’t come in contact with any other athlete or staff members.
Interestingly, Aware, who was conferred Arjuna Award on August 29 during a virtual ceremony, had tested negative for the virus during the rehearsal organised a couple of days before the function. He attended the function in Pune.
“The camp will continue as the wrestlers didn’t contract virus at the facility. They reached there and were tested upon their arrival. A few of them were found to be positive while others are serving a mandatory quarantine period. It will not make any sense if they are asked to leave now,” Vinod Tomar, assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), told this daily.
Meanwhile, Deepak, the Olympic-bound grappler, confirmed to this daily that he has reached his village, Chhara in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, to serve the quarantine period.
“The trio underwent CT scans. While Deepak’s report shows no damage to lungs, reports of Navin and Krishan were not satisfactory. Deepak has been discharged while the two will now undergo another CT scan a couple of days later to assess their condition,” Tomar said.
The grapplers were asymptomatic when they tested positive. “I don’t have any symptoms even now. I have reached my village and will serve the quarantine period here,” said Deepak.
After being shifted to the hospital, the wrestlers had requested the doctors and WFI to allow them to move out of the facility and serve the quarantine period at their respective homes.