The Sports Authority of India has come up with fresh Standard Operating Procedures to deal with the drastic rise in the Covid cases, mostly owing to the Omicron variant. These measures will be strictly implemented at the various National Centres of Excellence as well as the ongoing national coaching camps. 

The Sports Ministry said, upon arrival to the training centres, all athletes will undergo mandatory Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). If the test comes negative, they will train and dine separately until the sixth day of joining. A repeat of the RAT would take place on the 5th day. The Ministry said, the athletes who get a positive result would undergo a RTPCR test and be treated in isolation, while the athletes testing negative would continue normal training.

The Ministry said, proper isolation facilities are being earmarked for Covid positive or symptomatic athletes across the camps and the facilities will be sanitized twice a day. There will also be a micro bio-bubble, where the athletes will be divided into small groups for training and dining. The athletes have also been strictly asked to avoid interacting with other groups.

There will also be random testing of athletes, coaches, support staff and non-residential staff in the National Centres of Excellence, NCOE, once every 15 days. The Ministry said, it has also been recommended that athletes would be participating in only those competitions recommended by the respective National Sports Federations and the Sports Authority of India headquarter officials.