Selection trials for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Taekwondo and Para-Taekwondo will be conducted by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and not by Sports Authority of India (SAI), officials said.
This decision was taken after a meeting between senior officials of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and SAI earlier this week, the SAI said in a statement.
SAI was earlier supposed to hold the selections from April 15 - 17. All necessary support including financial assistance will be provided by SAI, it added.
The decision will ensure free and transparent selection trial since the Taekwondo Federation of India is not a recognised National Sporting Federation (NSF).
Earlier, in view of the rising cases of coronavirus across the country and keeping the health and safety of athletes in mind, SAI decided to allow summer vacations across all National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) for a period of three weeks.
However, elite athletes who are part of the national camps and are training for Olympics and other international competitions at the NCOEs will continue to stay and train in their respective campuses. Their sparring partners will also be allowed to train with them.
Athletes who have to attend classes or have to appear in examinations will be allowed to stay in the campus and will be provided all facilities. All athletes and staff who stay back will undergo a weekly RT-PCR test.
SAI will arrange for the safe return of all NCOE athletes who are heading home. Athletes will be provided air tickets from the NCOE to the nearest airport of their hometown and those living within a 500-km radius will be given AC 3 Tier train tickets.
As stated in the latest SAI's standard operating procedure (SOP), SAI will conduct weekly RT-PCR tests for athletes, coaches and support staff who stay back on campus to ensure close monitoring of the coronavirus situation.
SAI is making every effort to keep the athletes and support staff in the bio-bubble safe and conducted mass precautionary RT-PCR tests at NCOEs in Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Sonepat, and Lucknow. Out of 1,477 tests that were conducted in these centers, only 17 people tested positive which is 1.15 per cent of the total tests done.
( With inputs from ANI )
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