Indian athletes assured of safety in Tokyo

The Indian athletes and officials travelling for the Olympics have been asked by the Japanese government to undergo daily COVID-19 tests for a week prior to their departure and not to interact with anyone from another country for three days upon arrival, strictures that have left the IOA fuming. 

Stricter regulations have been put in place for all travellers -- including athletes, coaches and support staff -- of 11 countries, including India, where different variants of COVID-19 have been identified, within 14 days of their arrival in Tokyo. 

Terming the rules as “unfair and discriminatory”, the IOA had written to the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (TOCOG) to ensure that mechanisms to prevent COVID-19 do not have any ‘adverse and detrimental impact’ on performance of athletes.