Amid the gloom over the Games due to the pandemic, the first batch of India’s 88-strong Olympic-bound contingent arrived here on Sunday morning to participate in the COVID-19 hit Tokyo Games, starting July 23.
Athletes and officials from eight disciplines of Archery, Badminton, Table Tennis, Hockey, Judo, Gymnastics, Swimming and Weightlifting arrived in the Japanese capital from New Delhi in a chartered Air India flight from New Delhi.
The 88-member contingent included 54 athletes, apart from the support staff and IOA representatives.
Hockey, consisting of both men’s and women’s teams, is the largest of all disciplines.
Some Indian athletes have already reached Tokyo from their respective training bases abroad.
India’s lone weightlifter Mirabai Chanu arrived in Tokyo on Friday from her training center in St.
Boxers and shooters have also arrived from their training bases in Italy and Croatia.
India will be represented by a 228-strong contingent comprising 119 athletes at the Tokyo Olympics, which will be held under strict health protocols and without spectators in the wake of the raging pandemic.
Four Indian sailors – Nethra Kumanan and Vishnu Saravanan (laser class), KC Ganapathi and Varun Thakkar (49er class) – were the first from the country to reach Tokyo from their training bases in Europe. Their training has started from Thursday.
However, the news from the sports village is not good at all as Tokyo Olympic organizers on Sunday reported three new cases of COVID-19 infection among athletes, as the population of the athletes’ village swells ahead of the start of the pandemic-hit Games . Week.
Organizers reported 10 new cases related to the Olympics, including media, contractors and other personnel. This was compared to 15 new cases on Saturday, which included workers, the first case of infection in the athletes’ village. An International Olympic Committee member from South Korea tested positive for the coronavirus upon landing in Tokyo. Ryu Seung-min, a former Olympic athlete, has been vaccinated, indicating an increased risk of infection from those who participated in the vaccination.