As per the Home Ministry directives to open up sports complexes and stadia, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has resumed the sporting activities in two stadiums out of five in Delhi. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium opened for an hour each, and the slots were booked online. The SAI had earlier laid down a detailed Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) for the resumption of sports activities across the country in a phased manner.
As per the guidelines, all the stadia have been disinfected and sanitised. Thermal checks and hand sanitisation of every athlete and accompanying parents are being done at entry and exit points. Masks have been made mandatory, so have been the government’s Aarogya Setu app for all athletes, coaches and the respective staff. In the first phrase of resumption, non-contact sports like archery, table tennis, badminton, and lawn tennis have been started at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
It is to be noted that these sports require minimal sharing of the equipment. SAI has further decreed that a maximum of only 50% of sports facilities in various stadia will be made operational to ensure social distancing. As per the Home Ministry guidelines, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Swimming Complex in New Delhi will remain closed as swimming is still barred from the resumption of training activities.
Sports activities at Indira Gandhi Stadium and Karni Singh Shooting Range are expected to resume in a week. As per the Home Ministry directives, only the athletes above the age of 10 years are allowed to participate in the training activities.