The Tokyo Olympic organisers are working on how to ensure safe stay and seamless training of the Indian athletes inside the Games Village, according to a letter they have sent to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). (More Sports News)
The Indian athletes and officials travelling for the Olympics have been asked by the Japanese government to undergo daily COVID-19 tests for a week prior to their departure and not to interact with anyone from another country for three days upon arrival, strictures that have left the IOA fuming.
Stricter regulations have been put in place for all travellers -- including athletes, coaches and support staff -- of 11 countries, including India, where different variants of COVID-19 have been identified, within 14 days of their arrival in Tokyo.
Terming the rules as "unfair and discriminatory", the IOA had written to the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (TOCOG) to ensure that mechanisms to prevent COVID-19 do not have any "adverse and detrimental impact" on performance of athletes.
In reply to the IOA letter, TOCOG said: "Tokyo 2020 is working to define how athletes of your NOC as well from other 10 countries and all other 195 NOCs can stay safe in the Villages and have training.
"We hope to provide you with those information and discuss together as soon as possible we develop it," the Games organisers said in a letter to the IOA.
The IOA, on its part, said that its president and secretary general were in discussion with TOCOG and seeking clarifications on the conditions imposed on the Indian contingent for Tokyo Olympics.
India's COVID-19 situation has improved considerably after a catastrophic second wave with daily cases declining from more than 3 lakh daily a few weeks back to less than 60,000 right now.