Indian Grand Prix to go ahead minus fans
● The AFI said that all the athletes coming from outside will be allowed to enter the NS-NIS campus only after a medical checkup by AFI/SAI medical team at the entry gate.
New Delhi, March 16: The first two competitions of the Indian Grand Prix series will be held without any spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Competition Committee of Athletics Federation of India said on Monday.
The second competition of the Indian Grand Prix series was scheduled to be held at Sangrur but it will now be held at NIS Patiala.
“IGP-1 will be held on
20th March 2020 and IGP2 will be held on 25th March 2020 as per schedule. The venue of both the competition will be SAI NS-NIS Patiala,” AFI said in a release.
“Spectators will not be allowed inside the competition venue.”
The government had last week imposed travel restrictions to control the spread of the virus, while the sports ministry urged all national federations to avoid large gatherings in sports events.
Given the health hazard, the AFI made it clear that “personal coaches, support staff or family members/friends of athletes who are not part of the national coaching camp will not be allowed inside the competition venue’.
The AFI also said that all the athletes coming from outside will be allowed to enter the NSNIS campus only after a medical check-up by medical team at the gate.
The governing body also said that “all the athletes will be provided with an accreditation card” and they have to “leave the venue soon after completion of their event without waiting to witness other events”.
As part of its many precautionary measures, the AFI also decided to strictly restrict the movement of competitors from NS-NIS entry gate to the athletics track and back.
“Those who are not part of the National Coaching Camps are not allowed to go to the residential hostels/guesthouses,” it said.
The AFI Competition Committee also revised the events list for both the first and second competitions.
OLYMPIC BOXING QUALIFIER GOES ON
In London, Olympic boxing qualifiers for fighters from Europe were taking place in London on Monday behind closed doors despite mounting concerns over coronavirus and enormous disruption across the world of sport.
The Boxing Road to Tokyo event in London started on Saturday in front of paying spectators at the Copper Box Arena and is due to run until March 24.
It features around 350 male and female boxers from dozens of nations and is the first opportunity for boxers from Europe to qualify for Tokyo 2020.
● The governing body also said that “all the athletes will leave the venue soon after completion of their event without waiting to witness other events”.
HOCKEY JR, SUB-JR NATIONALS SHELVED
Hockey India on Monday postponed all its junior and sub-junior national championships, which were scheduled to start from April 10, in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping to resume by the end of next month should the situation improve.
Meanwhile, the Sports Authority of Assam suspended all coaching activities in the state .
“Sports Authority of Assam suspends its coaching activities in the wake of #COVID- 19. Closes down swimming pool and gyms,” Sports Authority of Assam’s director general Onkar Kedia tweeted.