New Delhi: Three senior male wrestlers, including World Championship silver-medallist Deepak Punia, have tested positive for COVID-19. This information was given Thursday by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Besides the Olympic-bound Punia (86kg), the two other wrestlers who have tested COVID-19 positive are Navin (65kg) and Krishan (125kg). All three are part of a national camp at the SAI Centre in Sonepat ahead of which the wrestlers are in quarantine.
“Three senior men’s wrestlers, who had reported to the National Wrestling Camp at SAI Centre in Sonepat, have tested positive for COVID -19,” the nodal sports body said in a statement.
Punia had secured his place at the Tokyo Olympics with a silver medal at the Worlds.
The three wrestlers have been moved to a SAI empanelled hospital as a precautionary measure for further monitoring. All wrestlers were tested, upon arrival, as per the SAI SOP for resumption of sports activities. The coaches and support staff also underwent the mandatory RT-PCR test to detect COVID-19 on arrival.
When contacted, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar said the camp will go ahead as planned. “They (the three) will be tested again after two days and if they return negative tests, they will be brought back,” Tomar said.
“There is no threat to the national camp. It will continue. The wrestlers will begin training only after they complete their quarantine period of 14 days,” Tomar added.
All the wrestlers assembled for the camp September 1, so currently all are in quarantine.
Earlier Asian and Commonwealth Games champion Vinesh Phogat tested positive ahead of the national sports awards ceremony last week. She was to receive the Khel Ratna. Vinesh is the only Indian woman wrestler to have qualified for Tokyo Olympics.
Vinesh, who competes in 53kg category, has tested negative in the latest examination but will continue to remain in isolation as a precautionary measure.