The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Tuesday urged the national athletes, participating in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, to not spend much time in public places in Birmingham because of the threat of Covid-19.
“The Indian Olympic Association has requested the players of the Indian contingent at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to not spend much time in public places because of the threat of Covid-19, which can jeopardize the health and participation of the players,” IOA said in a statement.
“The players have been instructed to keep public interaction to a minimum and take safety precautions wherever needed,” it added.
The organisers of the CWG have segregated athletes based on sports and their venues. Accordingly, the Indian contingent is staying in five different CWG Villages.
According to the rules, every athlete will also need to undergo an RT-PCR test for Covid-19, 72 hours prior to their arrival in the United Kingdom.
The IOA announced a 322-strong contingent including 215 athletes and 107 officials and support staff for the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The Games are scheduled to be held from July 28 to August 8, and the India contingent will look to improve upon its Gold Coast 2018 CWG performance.
Lovlina’s coach Sandhya gets accreditation
Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain’s personal coach Sandhya Gurung on Tuesday received her accreditation for the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Lovlina on Monday took to social media to share her ordeal where she alleged that she had been going through ‘mental harassment’ due to her coaches being frequently changed.
Confirming the news, an IOA official said that Sandhya Gurung on Tuesday received her accreditation for the Commonwealth Games.
The Indian boxing squad arrived at the Games Village in Birmingham on Sunday night, following a 15-day training camp in Ireland.
However, Lovlina’s personal coach Sandhya Gurung was not allowed entry after she failed to produce an accreditation. Lovlina then took to Twitter and shared her plight in a long post.
The Sports Ministry and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) were quick to take note of the allegations made by Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain against the authorities for derailing her preparations for the Commonwealth Games.
Responding to Lovlina’s tweet, the IOA said in a statement that it has taken cognizance of the concern raised by team India boxer Lovlina on social media regarding her coach Sandhya Gurung’s accreditation at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
