Serbian tour called off after Covid-19 crisis hits national boxing camp

At least 21 women boxers have tested positive for Covid-19.

After the Covid-19 crisis hit the national boxing camp at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, the training-cum-competition trip to Serbia was called off on Wednesday.

The Covid-19 has effected at least 21 women boxers along with Indian women boxing's high performance director Raffaele Bergamasco and head coach Mohammed Ali Qamar.

Mary Kom (51kg), Pooja Rani (75 kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69 kg) and Simranjit Kaur (60kg) are the four Indian female boxers who have qualified for Tokyo 2020. All four, however, have not contacted the dreaded virus but placed under quarantine under the Sports Authority of India (SAI) protocol. 

“Precautionary COVID tests were conducted at the national boxing camp for Elite Women Boxers at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi and 21 campers, including players and coaching staff, have tested positive. None of them however are Olympic-bound boxers,” SAI said in an official statement.

“The Olympics-bound boxers and other campers who tested negative have been shifted to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium,” the statement added.

As per TOI, the Serbia camp was planned for 10-member women boxing contingent, excluding veteran Mary Kom. It comes as a heavy blow to Simranjit Kaur, Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani who were a part of the Indian contingent. 

Moreover, the trio of boxers, were also supposed to take part in an invitational tournament in Prague, Czech Republic which could have further boosted their confidence ahead of the quadrennial showpiece event. 

Ten people from the men's contingent had tested positive in March at their training base in Patiala.

As a precautionary measure, SAI is conducting weekly tests for athletes, support staffs and administrators, beside setting up strict quarantine norms. The Indian Olympic Association is working on facilitating the vaccine for Tokyo-bound athletes on a priority basis.

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