Express Impact: SAI seeks report over flouting of social distancing norms throughout Wrestling Nationals

After the Indian Express reported on Sunday that the Wrestling National Championships being held on the Noida Stadium flouted social distancing norms and different procedures of the rules offered, the Sports Authority of India took up the matter with the Wrestling Federation of India.
READ | At wrestling nationals, no social distancing, stands full and few individuals with masks
Seeking a report from the federation over the violation that happened on Saturday, SAI Director General Sandip Pradhan mentioned, “We have taken up the matter with the Wrestling Federation of India and impressed upon them that the SOP for competitions has to be adhered to strictly. We have also sought a report from the Federation on alleged violation, by Monday. The federation has assured compliance of protocol.”
SAI has additionally requested Indian Olympic Association to sensitize all National Sports Federations to comply with the covid protocols strictly to make sure security of athletes.
Hundreds of spectators had been on the Noida Stadium to look at the boys’s freestyle championship
No masks, no social distancing and packed stands.
On December 26, the sports activities ministry had launched an eight-page Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for organising competitions within the midst of a pandemic, wherein it underlined that the occasions needs to be performed ‘strictly in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs’.
Wrestling grew to become the primary main Olympic sport to carry its nationwide championship because the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However on the indoor enviornment of the Noida Stadium, tons of of spectators gathered to look at the boys’s freestyle championship, which has attracted 252 wrestlers in 10 weight classes. The grapplers needed to produce a Covid-negative certificates to be eligible for the championship. However, there was no such requirement for coaches and help workers accompanying them, in addition to referees and federation officers.