Ahead of the Asian Games in September, China considers inflexible Covid restrictions

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• May 4, 2022 | Poonam Nath

The Chinese city is battling a record number of daily cases of coronaviruses.

Digital Desk: If the Tokyo Olympics presented athletes with the unique challenges of living and competing in a bio-bubble, the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, this year will most likely be more of the same, if not more difficult.

India's athletes will travel the world in the second half of the year, competing in World Cups, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and the Asiad. 

However, after two years of pandemic-forced restrictions, most events, including the Birmingham CWG, are likely to be less conditional. The Asian Games, which are scheduled to take place from September 10 to 25, maybe an exception.

Despite reports of a possible postponement, the Games' organisers are pushing ahead with preparations and have put in place a strict "closed-loop" system, similar to the one used during the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, officials from two continental sports federations told a national news agency.

It was reported late last month that postponing the Asian Games, which are second only to the Olympics in terms of size, was a possibility as China, where the coronavirus first appeared in late 2019, faced its worst Covid-19 crisis. The country is dealing with a record number of daily cases in Shanghai, which has been shut down for over a month and is only a short train ride from Hangzhou.

According to an international news agency, an e-commerce hub, has made it mandatory for each 10 million residents to take at least one nucleic acid test every 48 hours to control the Omicron outbreak.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) insisted that the Games go ahead as planned ahead of its executive committee meeting on May 6, where the organisers are expected to present their plans. 

Narinder Batra, president of the Indian Olympic Association, stated that they received a letter from the OCA "four-five" days ago informing them that there would be no postponement.

According to Batra's statement, he said "We have received intimation from the Olympic Council of Asia, four-five days ago, that the Asian Games are not being postponed and will take place as scheduled," also adding that they have not been informed about the conditions under which the Games will take place.

Some closed-loop conditions will be similar to those imposed at the Tokyo Olympics last year, where Indian athletes won seven medals.

Those entering the bubble will be required to be fully vaccinated or quarantined for 21 days after landing in China.

As per reports, Batra stated that India had allocated a quota of 937 athletes and officials for the 2018 Asian Games. The visitors will not be allowed into non-Games sites during the Asiad.

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