Hockey training camp for men uncertain after six positive cases

The upcoming coaching camp for India’s male hockey gamers in Bengaluru seems unsure after half a dozen of them examined positive for Covid-19. However, the ladies can resume follow in any case of them examined adverse for the virus.

Six Indian males’s crew gamers – skipper Manpreet Singh, striker Mandeep Singh, defenders Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh, drag-flicker Varun Kumar and goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak – have examined positive after reaching Bengaluru for the nationwide camp, scheduled to start out on August 20. Of these, Mandeep has been hospitalised after his blood oxygen ranges dropped on Monday.

“The men’s camp is in doubt after six positive results, more reports are still awaited from the state government,” a SAI supply informed PTI. “But the women’s camp is still on course after all the players tested negative. They are currently under a 14-day quarantine period and the light intensity camp will begin once it’s over.”

Currently, 33 male and 24 feminine gamers are in Bengaluru for the camp. The six Covid-19 positive males – principally from Punjab – had been a part of a 10-member group that travelled collectively from New Delhi. According to sources near the developments, the quantity might rise as all of the test reviews of the lads’s crew haven’t but to return.

The mild depth nationwide camp was supposed to start out within the final week of August after a month-long break and was anticipated to proceed until September 30. It is learnt that SAI permitted the camp after a request from Hockey India, which is among the many 57 de-recognised National Sports Federations (NSFs).

“Resuming national camps is not solely SAI’s decision. We take feedback and inputs from every NSF before deciding anything because they are more aware than us. We just give them support in terms of opening up our infrastructure,” a SAI supply mentioned.

“We are in deliberations with respective authorities, including Hockey India on the resumption of men’s camp and a decision on this matter will be taken shortly.”

Reports have alleged that the lads’s crew gamers, throughout their break, didn’t observe well being security protocols as strictly as they need to have been. India’s solely World Cup-winning hockey captain Ajit Pal Singh criticised the Punjab-based gamers for travelling collectively whereas saying that the fault additionally lies with HI, which ought to have saved a tab on its gamers throughout their time at residence.

“The men’s team players ought to be more responsible. They are national icons and they should set the right examples for the future generations. If they were required to follow quarantine rules, they should have followed them strictly,” Ajit Pal informed PTI.

“The federation officials also need to take some responsibility. They should have ensured that the players adhere to quarantine rules at home. Look at the girls, all of them tested negative which shows that they are more responsible and disciplined than their male counterparts.”

Ajit Pal additionally questioned the necessity for the resumption of the coaching camp presently because the Indian hockey groups don’t have any main tournaments lined up this yr, aside from the lads’s Asian Champions Trophy in November in Dhaka.

That too seems set to be postponed because of the pandemic. “Life is more precious than any sport at this time. I don’t understand the logic behind resuming the camp now because we don’t have any tournaments lined up till April next year (FIH Pro League),” the 1975 World Cup-winning skipper mentioned.

“We are only putting all the players and everyone involved at risk by doing this. We have to keep that in mind.”