Wrestlers to return from Baku; athletics on without spectators

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, march 16

The coronavirus outbreak continues to play havoc with the Indian sportspersons’ Olympics dreams. The latest casualty is the training camp of the 10-member Indian Greco-Roman wrestling team that has been camping in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the last two weeks.

The team, led by Georgian coach Temo Kasarashvili, has been asked to return to India as soon as possible after the local authorities informed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) that they are closing the borders very soon.

The team, which also includes Gyanendra (60kg), Ashu (67kg), Sajan (77kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Hardeep (97kg) and Naveen (130kg) along with chief coach Hargovind Singh, will reach New Delhi on Tuesday morning.

In a brief chat with The Tribune, the chief coach said that they had to cut short the training programme because of the pandemic that has caused over 5,000 deaths worldwide.

“We are returning from the Qatar airline flight, we will reach by tomorrow morning,” Hargovind said.

Meanwhile, the WFI at the behest of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has shut both the national camps currently being run in Lucknow and Sonepat. The request was first made to the WFI on Sunday and a formal letter agreeing to the proposal has been sent to the SAI headquarters on Monday.

While the authorities have been advising against public gatherings, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has announced plans to hold two Indian Grand Prix events in Patiala.

The second leg of the IGP was scheduled to be held in Sangrur, but now both the legs will be held in Patiala.

“IGP-1 will be held on 20th March 2020 and IGP-2 will be held on 25th March 2020 as per schedule. The venue of both the competitions will be SAI NS-NIS Patiala,” AFI said in a statement. “Spectators will not be allowed inside the competition venue,” the release added.

Further, the AFI has said that individuals not part of the camp will not be allowed near the competition venue.

“…Personal coaches, support staff or family members/friends of athletes who are not part of the National Coaching Camp will not be allowed inside the competition venue,” the federation clarified.

Participants coming from outside the camp will be allowed to enter the campus only after going through a medical check.