Tokyo-bound NCOE athletes & para athletes to resume training from October 5

Tokyo Olympics bound top athletes of Centre of Excellence across the country and top para-athletes will now be able to train and practice under SAI's 2nd phase of resumption of sporting activities in the country. The decision was taken after detailed deliberation and considering that athletes cannot be put to risk of COVID less than year before Tokyo 2020 (21). 

In the first phase, SAI had started the training for only the Olympic bound athletes at various SAI centres in early June. In the next phase, the resumption of sporting activities for Tokyo Olympics bound para-athletes and athletes in NCOEs  (with a focus on 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2022 Asian and Commonwealth Games) has been planned in stages for nine disciplines, including para-athletics.

Other disciplines are para-powerlifting, para shooting, para archery, cycling, hockey, weightlifting, archery, wrestling, Judo, athletics, boxing, and fencing. These will be organised at the SAI regional centers with residential facilities so as the athletes are not exposed to any dangers of COVID transmission and to ensure complete safety of athletes, including following of quarantine protocols, SAI SOP, and state COVID SOP, This phase of sports resumption is likely to begin on October 5, 2020.SAI has also directed the Regional Centres to maintain the bio-bubble (Zoning) to ward off any possible chance of transmission of the virus among trainees at the NCOEs. 

It has been decided that coaches, support staff who would be involved in the training of athletes will also be housed in the NCOE so as to maintain the integrity of the bio-bubble for the safety of all athletes.SAI has also decided to support athletes from sports, where SAI does not have its own captive residential infrastructure, if they train in ‘Play and Stay” kind of training facilities, if the facility administration, the coaches, and athletes assume the responsibilities of taking requisite precaution against COVID-19.

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