National camp for elite athletes to continue at SAI centres

Around 10 athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Sports Authority of India (SAI)’s Bengaluru centre and some of them have been hit for the second time. And despite SAI putting out a release on Monday that it is closing down 67 training centres across the country, it will not affect the elite athletes who are preparing at national camps for this year’s majors including the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships.

67 STC centres closed

“SAI has different schemes like STC, NCOE, National camps, academic institutions and only the STC training centres have been asked to close down. And if there students studying in classes 10, 11 or 12, and if they have their exams scheduled, we have a provision to allow them to stay,” G. Kishore, director, SAI-LNCPE Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, told The Hindu on Monday.

“The NCOE (National Centres of Excellence), National camps and regional centres and academic centres will function following COVID-19 protocol and directions from the health ministry. The athletics national camp will go on. In Thiruvananthapuram, only one athlete tested positive (for COVID-19) and he has been kept in isolation.”

The sprinters, quartermilers, relay runners and hurdlers’ national camp is now on in Thiruvananthapuram. Since the track relaying work at the SAI-LNCPE centre is yet to be completed, Kishore said the athletes would be taken in special vehicles to other synthetic tracks in the Kerala capital for training.

“They will be taken at a specified time with proper care and protection. Also, once in a while to the beach, for beach running,” he said.

Adille Sumariwalla, president, Athletics Federation of India (AFI), also confirmed that the national camps would not be closed.

Meanwhile, around 10 athletes have been hit by COVID-19 at SAI, Bengaluru.

“In jumps alone, four to five got COVID-19 but many don’t have any symptoms. Two to three coaches also tested positive,” said a leading athlete from the Bengaluru centre.