NIS Patiala: Boxing coach, 25 others test positive

New Delhi, March 31

Twenty-six sportspersons and support staff were found positive after around 380 athletes were subjected to tests for Covid at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, a Sports Authority of India (SAI) source said today.

However, the 26 positive results did not include any Tokyo Olympic-bound athlete. India’s men’s boxing chief coach CA Kuttappa and shot put coach Mohinder Singh Dhillon were among those who had tested positive, the SAI source said.

“Around 380 athletes at the NIS Patiala were tested recently. The tests were conducted across the board and were not random,” the source said. It is learnt that 10 of the 26 positive cases are from the track and field group training at the institute.

“The positive athletes have been isolated and the entire campus has been sanitised,” the source said. However, all weightlifters housed at the sports institute had tested negative. The boxers, who had tested positive, included Asian silver-medallist Deepak Kumar and India Open gold-medallist Sanjit. “Some more test results are awaited. The cases in boxing are seven as of now,” another source said. — PTI

GNDU exams put off

Jalandhar: After the government deferred the opening of campuses till April 10, Guru Nanak Dev University also decided to put off the exams for another 10 days. The exams were going on when the government had on March 19 announced to shut the campuses till March 31 owing to a spurt in cases. A circular issued by the university on Wednesday said all exams had been postponed till April 10 and a fresh date would be announced later.

56 die in 24 hrs

Chandigarh: The state reported 2,452 cases, including 56 deaths, in the past 24 hours. Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar topped the chart with nine deaths each, followed by Ludhiana and Patiala eight deaths each, SAS Nagar five and Kapurthala four deaths.