8 hours at airport as Indian sailors land in Tokyo

A TEDIOUS bureaucratic course of lasting hours, a Covid take a look at and a ‘technology check’ — the primary Indian crew to the touch down in Tokyo for the Olympics bought a style of what the brand new regular is like on the Games.
The six-member crusing crew, comprising 4 sailors and two coaches, took a little bit greater than eight hours to finish your complete course of at Tokyo’s Haneda airport Tuesday earlier than they may lastly go away for his or her resort.
It was unusually lengthy, however not surprising.
Following a gathering final week between Chef de Missions from all nations and the organising committee, Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra had warned the nation’s 227-strong contingent to be ready for delays. The contingent learnt that a number of nations needed to wait as much as 4 hours for the immigration course of to begin after which one other three hours to board their devoted transport.
“Sharing with all of you so that you are mentally prepared for what you may very likely expect at the airport until you reach the Village… these games are being held under extra ordinary circumstances and we should try to support Japan and go (through) everything with a smile,” Batra wrote in his message to the Indian crew on July 10.
The crusing crew didn’t examine into the Athletes Village, which was thrown open on Tuesday, since they are going to be dwelling in a separate lodging nearer to their venue.
As per an Associated Press report, Tokyo reported its highest tally in virtually six months on Wednesday, seeing 1,149 new instances. The new excessive coincided with a courtesy name by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach on Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
An official mentioned the crusing crew was held up because of the prolonged immigration procedures and the look forward to Covid take a look at studies. There had been not one of the typical fast-track lanes for Games members at airports, as in earlier Olympics.
Immediately after de-boarding, the telephones of the crew had been first checked by a quarantine officer for 2 apps — one for well being monitoring and the opposite for contact tracing. The officers ensured that Bluetooth and GPS had been practical on every of their telephones. “Through one of the apps, they also checked our pre-departure Covid reports,” the official added. “For those without a smartphone, there was a provision at the airport to rent one for the duration of the Games.”
After the quarantine info was conveyed, the crew needed to bear a saliva antigen Covid-19 take a look at. While ready for the report, they accomplished different formalities, like validating their accreditation playing cards and submitting proof of a unfavorable pre-departure Covid take a look at.
“It took a couple of hours for the Covid test report, but in our case the delay was longer also because some members of the team did not have their accreditation cards,” the official mentioned.

The crusing crew had been coaching in several elements of Europe earlier than leaving for Japan. While Nethra Kumanan, who will compete within the laser radial occasion, was coaching in Spain, the 49er class duo of Varun Thakkar and Ganapathy Chengappa had been getting ready for the Games in Portugal. Vishnu Saravanan, who will participate in laser commonplace class, was in Malta for his Olympics preparations.
Owing to the flight disruptions, accreditation playing cards had not reached a few of them in time. “It is not possible to leave the airport without an accreditation card. That process took a couple of hours more. The rest of the team could have left after they received their Covid-negative reports but they chose to travel together,” the official mentioned.
The crusing crew’s expertise is a sign of what awaits the remainder of the Indian crew. The first batch of athletes from India is because of go away for Tokyo on July 17 by way of a chartered Air India flight.