Tokyo Olympics-bound Indian race walker Priyanka Goswami tests positive for COVID-19

Priyanka Goswami, who is one of the five Indian race walkers to have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, has tested positive for COVID-19 at the SAI center in Bengaluru.

Apart from Goswami, four other track and field athletes have also been infected with the virus, including Asian Games 1500m gold medallist Jinson Johnson.

Long-distance runner Parul Chaudhary, steeplechaser Chinta Yadav, race walker Eknath and Russian racewalk coach Alexander Artsybashev are the others to have been infected.

Thank you so much @KirenRijiju sir for all your wishes and support... I will try to give my extreme best and work hard to get medal for my country. #JaiHind🇮🇳 https://t.co/VbGSUqCa30

— Priyanka goswami (@Priyanka_Goswam) February 28, 2021

Five Indian race walkers have qualified for Tokyo 2021

The 24-year-old Goswami made the Tokyo Olympics cut in the women’s 20km race walk with a new national record during the National Race Walking Championships in Ranchi in February.

Her qualification timing was 1.28:45 seconds, which bettered another Tokyo-bound walker Bhawana Jat’s national record of 1:29:54s. The Tokyo Olympics qualifying standard in women’s 20km race walk is 1:31:00.

The four other Indian race walkers who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics are KT Irfan, Sandeep Kumar, Rahul Rohilla and Bhawna Jat.

Following the news of the positive tests, the entire race walking team has been put under isolation at the SAI centre.

Meanwhile, Irfan and Jat’s results have come back negative.Johnson spoke about her condition with the press:

“My test result which came on Monday was positive and so I am currently in quarantine in my room. I have fever, not very high, and headache also,” Johnson was quoted as saying to PTI.

The inclusion of 33 Men and 25 Women Core probables from hockey and 4 Race Walkers in the TOPS is a major step to boost our team preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. Besides top facilities, each athlete will be supported with an allowance of ₹50,000 per month till #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/v1tvo5bepN

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) March 10, 2021

“Otherwise, I have no major problems. I will have another test in three days and I hope to have a negative result. K T Irfan was also tested as he was my primary contact but his result was negative.”

In August of last year, six members of the Indian men’s hockey team had tested positive for COVID-19 including skipper Manpreet Singh. Tokyo-bound Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat also tested positive last year.