Indian athletes’ Turkey training trip suspended

New Delhi, April 22

The training-cum-competition tour of elite track and field athletes to Turkey has been “suspended” as they would have to serve hard quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in that country.

Olympics-bound javelin throwers Neeraj Chopra and Shivpal Singh were to be among the group to travel to Turkey this month, along with the quartermilers — both men and women.

“Our athletes will have to undergo a 14-day hard quarantine if they have to go to Turkey. This would mean that they will not even be allowed to go out of their rooms, they will not be able to train,” a reliable team source told PTI.

“This is competition period and athletes cannot be rested that long during this phase. They have to train, so there is no point resting for 14 days and spending a lot of money. So, the tour is suspended as of now,” he added.

The source said the Athletics Federation of India is planning to change the destination of the training-cum-competition tour to Czech Republic. — PTI