SAI, Bengaluru cook dies, tests positive for Covid

NEW DELHI: Four officials have been quarantined in the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Bengaluru centre following the death of a cook who tested positive for Covid-19.

SAI in a statement on Wednesday said the senior director in charge of the centre has been asked to take “all necessary precautions as per the health guidelines to ensure all players and staff housed inside the campus are safe.”

The centre has currently around 70 athletes including men’s and women’s hockey squads and track and field athletes. The Bengaluru SAI centre went into a lockdown on March 10 after a Covid-19 case was reported nearby.

“On May 18 a cook employed in the Sports Authority of India’s Bengaluru centre passed away due to a sudden cardiac arrest at BGS hospital,” SAI said in a statement.

The 54-year-old cook tested positive for Covid-19 post his death and that alarmed the authorities.

The cook, along with some other kitchen staff, had a meeting with officials at the SAI Bengaluru campus on May 15 to discuss the modalities of making the kitchen fully operational when training resumes.

“The person, who was staying outside the SAI campus during the period of lockdown (March 10, 2020 onwards), came to SAI Bengaluru on May 15 to attend a brief meeting to discuss the resumption of kitchen activities at the centre. The person went through all necessary screenings,” the statement said.

“The meeting was attended by 16 members, including the deceased, at the auditorium (seating capacity of 300) near the administrative block of the centre. Social distancing norms, as per government guidelines, were followed during the meeting. The deceased (the cook who died) left soon after the meeting and did not interact with any of the players or other staff members in the centre,” SAI said.

SAI said the situation has been reviewed and the four other officials, who were present at the meeting and live inside the campus, have been quarantined. “The others, who live outside the centre, have been home quarantined,” it said.

IOA president Narinder Batra said he has been in touch with the players and was fully satisfied with the way SAI, Bengaluru has been kept safe and sanitised.

“SAI administration is doing its best to handle the issue at hand and there is no reason to panic. We have spoken to officials and players staying in SAI Bengaluru, it is clear that none of them have interacted with the person who tested Covid positive,” Batra said.

The MHA guidelines for lockdown 4 on Sunday allowed activity in sports complexes and stadiums.

The Sports Ministry and SAI are working on protocols to begin training of elite athletes. However, the incident seemed to have pushed back resumption of training at the two SAI centres where athletes are in isolation since the lockdown.

“It will take some time before training can begin because the Bengaluru centre has to sanitised and proper protocols have to be put in place,” said a SAI source.

The SAI centres in Bengaluru and Patiala were operating on minimal staff since the lockdown and those who were aged were sent back home. “The cook in Bengaluru was also sent home. Whenever training resumes the kitchen has to fully operational and the cook was called to discuss the logistics,” the source added.