Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary-general Rajeev Mehta also said a lot of athletes won’t be there keeping in mind the risk of infection.
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Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony, a directive has been issued for the athletes. Players with events the next day will not participate is being given. Only six officials from the contingent will be allowed to take part in the event, the country’s deputy chef-de-mission Prem Kumar Verma said.
IOA secretary-general Rajeev Mehta also said a lot of athletes won’t be there keeping in mind the risk of infection.
“We will try to have a bare minimum group out there. Kam se kam athletes ko utara jaega (Very little athletes will come). The chef de mission and the deputy chef de mission will decide on the numbers tomorrow. But our view is that the bare minimum should attend to ensure their safety,” Mehta told PTI.
India has 119 athletes in the Games. The overall contingent size being 228, including officials, coaches, other support staff and alternate athletes in view of the COVID-19. “Six officials (from every country) are allowed at the ceremony but there is no cap on athletes. However, we have advised the athletes who have events the next day to skip the ceremony,” Verma said after a meeting of the chef-de-missions”
“The ceremony is likely to last till midnight. So it is better that they rest for their events the following day,” he added.
“Those who don’t have fights on Saturday will participate in the ceremony,” a boxing contingent source told PTI. India have named men’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh, six-time world champion woman boxer M C Mary Kom as the flag-bearers. While Mary Kom is not scheduled to compete on July 24, Manpreet will lead the side for the first Pool A game against New Zealand.
“Those who are quarantining are also not allowed,” Verma said. This was regarding the athletes and officials, who have recently landed in the Japanese city. On Wednesday, media reports came in that Britain will have no more than 30 athletes taking part in the ceremony. This is due to COVID-19 fears. Great Britain has 376 athletes in the fray at the Games.
