2 Indian judokas positive, team pulls out of Bishkek event

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 7

The Indian judo team has pulled out of the Asia Oceania Championships after two judokas tested positive for Covid-19. The two — Ajay Yadav and Ritu — have been placed in quarantine in a hotel. The 19-member Indian contingent — comprising 15 athletes and four coaches — left for Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) after undergoing three rounds of testing. Two judokas were detected with the virus in the fourth round of testing after reaching Bishkek on April 4. The team pulled out of the tournament after the results.

“The judokas underwent four rounds of testing between March 30 and April 5 — two before leaving and one after landing in Bishkek and one a day before the competition,” the Sports Authority of India said in a statement. “It was during the 4th test before the competition that the two were found Covid positive.”

Big spike

Interestingly, the Indian team was training at SAI’s Bhopal centre that has seen a big spike in Covid-19 cases among campers training there. The centre reported 22 cases in the last week. In fresh tests, 14 more persons have been detected with the virus. Some of the athletes who tested positive had returned from wushu and judo competitions.

Precautionary tests

The spike in Covid cases has forced SAI to issue a fresh circular to its training centres, including the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), to follow the existing SOP “stringently with stress on conducting regular precautionary tests for athletes”. The new measures include weekly testing of all athletes, support staff with stricter quarantine norms. As per the new norms, athletes will be allowed to join the camp only if they have a negative Covid report via an RT-PCR test within 72 hours before arrival. Further, Olympics probables will have to undergo a seven-day quarantine and will have to follow Covid-19 protocols with staggered timings. RT-PCR tests will be conducted on national campers every week.