COVID-19 impact in India: SAI training centres closed, BCCI postpones U-19 Cooch Behar knock-outs

The new variant of COVID-19 is taking the Indian sporting scene by storm, impacting training to a massive extent. Various sports associations have canceled or postponed major tournaments while some important championships are being held behind closed doors.

Many table tennis events and the Senior National Championships have already been postponed. Additionally, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) deferred the start of the Ranji Trophy and the Women's T20 League.

On Monday, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) had decided to close 67 SAI State Training Centers across the country, due to the rising COVID-19 cases.

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Read: SAI issues fresh SOPs to combat rising COVID-19 cases

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In the same breath, the BCCI also postponed the knock-outs of the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy in Pune after more than 50 players and officials tested positive for COVID-19.

In a media statement, the Sports Authority of India said the decision to close state SAI training centers comes after many states have suspended sporting activities. The statement read:

"In view of the rising cases of Covid 19, the Sports Authority of India has decided to close the 67 SAI Training Centers across the country. The decision also comes in the wake of directives issued by various states to suspend sporting activities for the safety of athletes. The centers will be reopened after a review of the situation in due course of time."

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Surge in positive cases among Indian state teams during training

Meanwhile, the pandemic wreaked havoc in the U-19 Cooch Behar knock-out tournament. The tournament, being held in Pune, reported more than 50 positive cases from the players and officials concerned.

Mumbai, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Bengal, Haryana and Maharashtra qualified for the Cooch Behar Trophy knock-outs. They were scheduled to play from Tuesday (11 January).

The teams have been camping in Pune and were undergoing regular training sessions and the positive cases were recorded during regular testing.

The BCCI said the knock-outs have been put on hold until further notice. In a release, the body wrote:

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced the postponement of the knockout stage matches of the Cooch Behar Trophy following some positive COVID-19 cases within the team environment. Keeping everyone’s health and safety in mind, the knockout matches to be held in Pune have been put on hold until further notice."

The statement further added that the BCCI had conducted 93 matches across 20 venues in the league stage. They will continue to monitor the situation and identify a new window to resume the tournament once the situation improves.

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