New Delhi, Jan 6 : Sports Authority of India (SAI) has come up with fresh Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to deal with rise in Covid-19 cases, mostly owing to the Omicron variant.

All athletes will undergo mandatory Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on their arrival to the training centres. If the test comes negative, they will train and dine separately until the sixth day of joining.

Another RAT would take place on the fifth day. The ones who get a positive result would undergo a RTPCR test and treated in isolation, while the athletes testing negative would continue their training.

Proper isolation facilities are being earmarked for Covid-19 positive or symptomatic athletes across the camps and the facilities would be sanitized twice a day.

Moreover, there will be a micro bio-bubble, where the athletes will be divided into small groups for training and dining.

There will be random testing of athletes, coaches, support staff and non-residential staff in the NCOE, once every 15 days.

The athletes would be participating in only those competitions recommended by the respective National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the SAI HQ officials.

For invitational tournaments and non-Olympic qualifying events, recommendations would be made by the respective Regional Directors (RDs) of the NCOEs.

The measures will be strictly implemented at the various National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) as well as the ongoing national coaching camps.(UNI)