Stricter than usual restrictions have been put in place for those travelling from 14 countries including India, where variants were found.
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Indian athletes, staff, and officials travelling to Tokyo for the Olympic Games have been told by the Japanese government to undergo daily COVID-19 tests for a week ahead of their departure for the Japanese capital. They have also been forbidden from interacting with anyone from other countries for a period of three days upon their arrival. These are the necessary measures the government deemed necessary keeping in mind India’s less than ideal coronavirus situation at the moment. Stricter than usual restrictions have been put in place for those travelling from 14 countries, including India, where variants of the coronavirus have come to light. These restrictions are to remain in place 14 days after the athletes’ arrival.
Hitting out at the measures taken by the Japanese government, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) termed them as discriminatory and unfair. India is part of Group 1, alongside the likes of Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The participants from these countries are to get COVID tests done everyday for seven days before heading for Tokyo.
“Before you travel: You must be tested every day, for seven days, prior to your departure to Japan,” the advisory for Group 1 countries states.
“Physical distancing: For seven days prior to your departure to Japan, you must keep your physical interaction with all others, including from another team, delegation or country, to an absolute minimum,” it adds.
“At the Games. You will be tested every day as is the case for all athletes and officials. For three days after your arrival in Japan, you will not be able to physically interact with anyone from another team, delegation or country,” the advisory stated.
The athletes have also been asked to check into the Games Village at least five days before their respective competitions.
IOA president Narinder Batra and secretary-general Rajeev Mehta released a joint statement in which they strongly criticize the restrictive measures taken against Indian athletes, even if it was for the safety and security of everyone from the virus.
“Athletes are allowed to arrive in the Games Village only 5 days before their event. Now 3 days will be wasted, this is the time the athletes need to be moving towards their mode to peak. Highly unfair for Indian Athletes,” the joint statement read.
“Where and when will the athletes have their breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc during these 3 days, as everyone has food in the Games village food hall, where all Athletes and officials of other NOCs are present all the time. If food packets are being delivered outside the rooms of the athletes, then who will plan their body requirements like proteins, food preferences, etc and will it not affect the performance of athletes, who will not get their preferred diet, just 5 days before the Olympics,” the statement added.
The IOA also went on to question the need for restrictions of such nature especially since all traveling athletes, staff, and officials will be fully vaccinated before heading to Tokyo.
“While we respect any country’s decision to keep their country safe and secure, the athletes going out of India will be Double Vaccinated, have RT-PCR tests done every day for last 7 days before leaving,” the statement continued.
“Then why make the Athletes suffer at a time when they need to peak, once again highly unfair for Indian Athletes who have worked hard for 5 years to be discriminated against just 5 days before the Olympics,” it concluded.
