IOA chief requests for athletes, officials returning from Olympics to be allowed entry minus RT-PCR reports

New Delhi [India], July 25 (ANI): With people entering India needing to carry RT-PCR test results with them, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra has written to Secretary Sports Ravi Mital and requested for the Indian contingent coming in from the Tokyo Olympics -- after their respective events -- to be allowed to enter the country without test reports as long as they have accreditation cards.

"Government of India has put people travelling into India to enter India with a valid RTPCR test to be done before arriving into India and it applies on people arriving from Japan into India. Sir, our humble request from Tokyo through your office is to kindly take it up with Ministry of Health Government of India, Disaster Management and whoever else handles this with a request to allow the athletes, the officials, the IOA officials and delegates, NSF officials/delegates and the media who are coming back from Tokyo and have an accreditation card based on which Japan allowed them entry into Japan be allowed to enter back in India without RT-PCR test and report," Batra wrote in the mail.

He further requested the Indian government to inform the Japan government of the same. "Sir, our request is that a letter goes from Government of India to Government of Japan that all athletes and others referred above be permitted to board flights from Japan to India without a Covid test and in India also be permitted to go through without waiting for the test. The condition can that all in 'B' above with accreditation card," he further wrote.

The reason for the request from the IOA chief is the difficulty and confusion in getting tests done. "To get RT-PCR test done in Tokyo or outside Tokyo where contingent is based is a very difficult task. Here paper work is perfect but in practice there is lot of confusion and very difficult to get things," he explained.

"Every member of the contingent, officials, delegate from IOA and NSFs are being tested in Tokyo every day for Covid with Sylvia test till each individual's departure back to India."

He also mentioned that silver medallist Mirabai Chanu will head back to India on Monday. "Weightlifting contingent will depart from Tokyo on 26th July," he informed. (ANI)