Kiren Rijiju assures convenience for international athletes during quarantine in India
Rijiju mentioned that the government will extend its support to the national sports federations willing to host international events
India's sports minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday assured that international athletes traveling to the country for international sports meets will not face any inconvenience due to the prevailing quarantine regulations.
He also mentioned that the government will extend its support to the National Sports Federations (NSFs) willing to host international events in India amid the pandemic situation.
"The government will support the hosting of international events in the country. Cricket has started and the stadiums are allowing crowds. India and England pink-ball Test at the Motera Stadium (Ahmedabad) will have crowd and it will be an exciting match. We don't want international athletes (Olympics and non-Olympic) to be inconvenienced by the quarantine rules, so the government will extend all help to make their stay comfortable," Rijiju told PTI.
"However, we have to follow the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and protocols set by them. We have to keep that in mind as well. The participating athletes coming from outside India will have to carry a Covid-19 negative test report and they will be tested again at Delhi Airport. During their stay, their health will be regularly monitored by the organizers. So we will all extend the support," he added.
A large number of international footfall is expected at the Shooting World Cup in New Delhi slated to get underway from March 18 to 29. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has confirmed a total of 280 shooters and 101 officials from 42 participating nations for the mega-event.
Athletes from the United Kingdom and Brazil are also set to take part in the Shooting World Cup. The participants from these countries will have to undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine even though they test negative for Covid-19 upon arrival, owing to the fact that strains of Coronavirus from the UK and Brazil have been found to be more contagious. Furthermore, the athletes will be tested again seven days and if tested negative, will be released from quarantine.
Asian Boxing Championship is also set to be held in the first half of 2021 with the dates still to be confirmed. The mega-event is sure to attract a lot of international boxers.
India Open badminton tournament, a route to qualify for Tokyo 2020, will meanwhile run from May 11 to 16.