Mary Kom to train solo in Pune after personal coach tests COVID-19 positive
India’s boxers and coaches preparing for the Tokyo Olympics have been hit by COVID-19 from time to time despite being in bio-bubbles.
Mary Kom, the London Olympics 2012 bronze medallist, will have to do without her personal coach Chhote Lal Yadav at the women’s national boxing camp after he tested positive for COVID-19.
The camp is scheduled to be held in Pune. While Mary Kom reached Pune a day ago, Yadav is undergoing a 15-day quarantine at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
“It is a difficult situation. Last week my COVID-19 report was negative. Since then I have not interacted with anyone but my COVID-19 test on Wednesday revealed that I am positive,” Yadav told IANS.
“I was supposed to join the national camp in Pune. But after the positive report, I cannot go. I am alright but will have to follow the COVID-19 protocols laid down by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).”
Last month, at least 21 people, including Indian women boxing's high performance director Raffaele Bergamasco and head coach Mohammed Ali Qamar had tested positive for the novel coronavirus at the national camp at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
As a result, the Olympics-bound boxers and other campers who tested negative were shifted to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Mary Kom (51kg), Pooja Rani (75 kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69 kg) and Simranjit Kaur (60kg) are the four Indian women boxers who have qualified for Tokyo 2020.
Days after being shifted to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, though, Simranjit Kaur had also tested positive for the virus. After this, the SAI suspended training for Lovlina and Pooja as well.
However, Mary had been training on her own with her personal coach and was thus unaffected. The six-time world champion is preparing for her second Olympics, after having not qualified for Rio 2016.
“I have given Mary Kom all the details of how to maintain fitness during her seven days in quarantine in Pune,” Yadav said.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) had announced the names of 10 elite women boxers for the Pune camp.
Thereafter, the Indian team will also compete at the Asian Boxing Championships starting on May 21 in Dubai.