Four athletes of National Institute of Sports test positive for Covid-19

The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has struck the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala with the elite institution on Thursday (January 6) reporting four positive cases inside its campus. The four positive cases were confirmed following 170 RT-PCR tests conducted among athletes and coaches residing inside the campus.

The four positive cases include three junior athletes and one coach.

"RT-PCR tests for 170 athletes and coaches were conducted in NSNIS Patiala on Tuesday as part of SAI COVID SOP. Results have revealed that three junior athletes and one coach are COVID positive," a Sports Authority of India (SAI) official said.

"All four are symptomatic and have been isolated as per SOP. There are no positive cases among national campers and their training is continuing unhindered inside a bio-bubble." he added.

Last year, when I visited National Institute of Sports at Patiala I felt that all our prestigious sports centres need quality improvement. Govt's decision to give direct entry to 46 eminent athletes will be huge value addition to these prestigious National Centres of Excellence. https://t.co/M1KNoiKd1s pic.twitter.com/NZMnWxr4d2

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) May 29, 2020