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House panel seeks bio-bubbles, priority vaccination for athletes before Olympics
The Olympics were due to be held this year in Tokyo but were postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports has recommended priority Covid-19 vaccination for athletes before Olympics and bio-bubbles for their training ahead of the global sporting event. “Athletes, as well as coaches and support staff going for the Olympics, should be put in the priority group for the vaccination process,” the committee has said in a report.
The Olympics were due to be held this year in Tokyo but were postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The committee has also recommends a National Olympic Scholarship Programme in a phased manner. “It must guarantee minimum, but fixed financial aid to every athlete who does well at the national level. This funding needs to be scaled up as athletes begin to compete on the world stage.”
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The committee noted private funding to individual athletes is still very low as compared to that in other nations. “Athletes should be trained to raise funds from private sources as well. Besides, incentives to donors and sponsors will also spur such private sector participation.”
The committee has asked the sports ministry to place before it a formula for ensuring financial security for medal-winning athletes, their coaches during and after their careers are over. It recommended bio-bubbles at the training facilities to ensure athletes can be isolated in a secure environment and are able to train with minimal possibility of being infected before the Olympics. The committee has also recommended bio-bubbles for the Indian sportspersons at the Olympics.
The committee has sought “individualized programs for athletes capable of reaching finals or medal hopefuls, and also… sending them abroad as soon as possible in a bubble environment where top scientific infrastructure is available”. It has suggested psychological, mental, and nutritional assessment of athletes to help them recover from the impact of the pandemic. “Due to [the Covid-19] lockdown and travel restrictions, there was a loss of international/national competition exposure which has hugely affected the training of the athletes.”
The committee has called for making sure that players get an opportunity to play maximum international tournaments before the 2021 Olympics. “International competitions should be accorded priority as they prepare athletes for pressure situations, they may find themselves in during actual Olympics.”
The report noted that many foreign coaches left India because of the pandemic and this has resulted in 561 vacancies, which the committee has called unacceptable. It has asked the government to fill them immediately and expedite approvals, such as financial grants, equipment, representation in international competitions, to avoid unnecessary delays.
The committee has also suggested the setting up of an independent National Anti-Doping Authority with a full-time helpline for athletes to seek advice. “It should be made clear to all the athletes that instances of doping will not be taken lightly.”
The report asked the ministry to work towards building world-class infrastructure and facilities as per international standards. “A sincere and institutionalized effort should be made to ensure the maintenance of the infrastructure...”
