भारतीय खेल प्राधिकरण (SAI) ने COVID-19 मामलों में वृद्धि के कारण 67 प्रशिक्षण केंद्र बंद कर दिए, लेकिन संभ्रांत एथलीटों के लिए शिविर जारी रहेंगे

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Monday announced taht it has decided to close its 67 training centres across the country due to rising COVID-19 cases.

"In view of rising cases of COVID-19, the Sports Authority of India has decided to close the 67 SAI Training centres across the country," the SAI said in a statement.

"The decision also comes in the wake of directives issued by various states to suspend sporting activities for the safety of athletes," it added.

The centres would be reopened after a review of the situation in due course of time.

The training camps for elite athletes will however continues as scheduled, "There is no change in training schedule of elite athletes training for Asian and Commonwealth Games later this year. They are training in bio-bubbles at the NCOEs and following all precautions," a SAI spokesperson told PTI.

India reported a rise of 1,79,723 COVID-19 cases on Monday.

The number of active cases has increased to 7,23,619, the highest in around 204 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,83,936 with 146 fatalities reported this morning by the health ministry.

Last week, the SAI came up with fresh Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to deal with the drastic rise in the Covid cases, mostly owing to the Omicron variant. These measures were implemented at the various National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) as well as the ongoing national coaching camps.

Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) of athletes were made mandatory upon arrival at national camps and training centres.

"If the test comes negative, they will train and dine separately until the sixth day of joining. A repeat of the RAT would take place on the fifth day," SAI stated in a press release.

"The ones who get a positive result would undergo a RTPCR test and be treated in isolation, while the athletes testing negative would continue normal training," it added.

The SAI was forced to take this step after as many as 24 sportspersons and 12 support staff members tested positive for the virus at the SAI's Bhopal centre.