Mandeep 6th hockey player to test positive for Covid-19
nNEWDELHI:THE number of Covid-19 cases in the India men’s hockey camp in Bengaluru rose to six on Monday with forward Mandeep Singh also testing positive, after skipper Manpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh, Varun Kumar and Krishan Pathak tested positive on returning from home. “Mandeep is asymptomatic. He is being treated along with the other five players,” a Sports Authority of India (SAI) statement said.
The positive cases is unlikely to affect the India team’s preparations, which resumed after the Olympics was postponed. There are no competitions at least until mid-november, giving players enough time to regain their peak.
The Covid-19 cases were found
ACROSS when the 33 campers, confined to the SAI centre since March due to the lockdown and then allowed to go home in June end, began reassembling ahead of the August 4 deadline. In all 32 players have been tested. The results of 20 players have come, and those of 12 are awaited. Manipur-based Chinglensana Singh’s return to the camp has been delayed due to personal reasons, a team official said.
The camp was due to begin after a fortnight’s mandatory quarantine period, but could be delayed. “Since SAI is running the camp, it would be in the best position to answer these questions,” Hockey India high performance director David John said. SAI is expected to take a call once it gets all test results being done by Karnataka government.
All the players who have reported at the camp are in isolation, as per quarantine protocol. Their meals are left on a chair outside their rooms. They are not allowed to step out. “It is absolute isolation. We haven’t even seen each other’s faces,” a player said on condition of anonymity.
India’s next tournament is the six-team Asian Champions Trophy in Dhaka, from November 17 to 27.