CWG 2022: IOA asks players to limit time spent in public places, issues advisory to take safety precautions

Indian athletes competing in the upcoming Commonwealth Games (CWG 2022) have been asked to limit their public appearances and take the required precautions.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has issued this advisory in the wake of a number of athletes testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. A statement from the IOA read:

"The Indian Olympic Association has requested the players of the Indian contingent at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to not spend much time in public places because of the threat of COVID-19, which can jeopardize the health and participation of the players."

The statement also mentioned that athletes have been asked to keep public interaction to a minimum and continued:

"The players have been instructed to keep public interaction to a minimum and take safety precautions wherever needed,"

The directive comes at a time when the UK continues to record thousands of COVID-19 cases despite the fall in the number of casualties.

Indian contingent for CWG 2022

India has fielded a 321-strong contingent which includes 215 athletes, 107 officials, and support staff for the quadrennial event.

Read: India at CWG 2022: Full list of Indian athletes who have qualified for Commonwealth Games 2022 (Updated)

The Indian contingent has been rocked by several controversies and injuries in the run-up to the games.

While athletes Aishwarya Babu and Dhanalakshmi Sekar failed dope tests, a member of the Indian 4x100m relay team soon followed suit.

In a fiasco that could have been avoided, ace Indian boxer and Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain alleged mental harassment after one of her coaches, Sandhya Gurung, was not allowed into the CWG 2022 village. This prompted officials and the Sports Ministry to intervene and an accreditation was soon issued to Lovlina Borgohain's coach.

In a huge blow to India's medal chances at the Games, ace Indian javelin thrower, Tokyo Olympic gold medalist and defending CWG champion Neeraj Chopra was ruled out of the quadrennial Games. Chopra sustained an injury at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8. You can check out the complete Commonwealth Games 2022 schedule here.