Tokyo Olympics: IOA advises Indian athletes who’ve occasions the following day to skip opening ceremony

The participation of Indian athletes within the Olympic Games opening ceremony might be saved to a “bare minimum” in view of the COVID-19 risk, whereas solely six officers from the contingent might be allowed to participate within the occasion on Friday.

The athletes who’ve competitions lined up for the following day might be discouraged from attending the occasion, the nation’s deputy chef-de-mission Prem Kumar Verma advised PTI on Wednesday.Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary common Rajeev Mehta, who’s within the metropolis, mentioned not many might be there protecting in thoughts the danger of an infection.”We will try to have a bare minimum group out there. Kam se kam athletes ko utara jaega. The chef de mission and the deputy chef de mission will decide on the numbers tomorrow but our view is that the bare minimum should attend to ensure their safety in this crucial period,” Mehta advised PTI.India is being represented by greater than 120 athletes within the Games with the general contingent dimension being 228, together with officers, coaches, different help employees an alternate athletes in view of the COVID-19. “Six officials (from every country) are allowed at the ceremony but there is no cap on athletes.However, we have advised the athletes who have events the next day to skip the ceremony and focus on their game,” Verma mentioned after a gathering of the chef-de-missions right here however didn’t specify which officers from India might be there on the occasion.”The ceremony is likely to last till midnight so it is better that they rest for their events the following day,” he added.The likes of 10m air pistol shooters Saurabh Chaudhary, Abhishek Verma, Apurvi Chandela and Elavenil Valarivan, who’ve occasions on the primary competitors day, will skip the ceremony together with Manu Bhaker, Yashaswini Singh Deswal, Deepak Kumar and Divyansh Singh Panwar might be taking pictures on the second day.The Indian workforce has eight rifle, 5 pistol and two skeet shooters, apart from six coaches and a physiotherapist in Tokyo. Before the coronavirus pandemic broke out, Indian shooters persistently dominated the game, ending on prime of the desk in 4 ISSF World Cups, in 2019.Chef-de-mission B P Baishya mentioned a name on the variety of Indian athletes who will take part might be taken on Thursday. Boxers, archers and the lads’s and girls’s hockey groups are additionally scheduled to compete the day after the opening ceremony.”Those who don’t have fights on Saturday will participate in the ceremony,” a boxing contingent supply advised PTI. India have named males’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh and six-time world champion lady boxer M C Mary Kom because the flag-bearers for the opening ceremony. While Mary Kom isn’t scheduled to compete the following day, Manpreet might be main the facet out for the primary Pool A recreation in opposition to New Zealand on Saturday.”Those who are quarantining are also not allowed,” Verma mentioned concerning the athletes and officers, who’ve lately landed within the Japanese metropolis. On Wednesday, media stories got here in that Britain can have not more than 30 athletes collaborating within the ceremony resulting from COVID-19 fears. Great Britain has 376 athletes in fray on the Games.