Elaborate safety standards at SAI Lucknow as Women’s Wrestling Camp begins

Wrestlers have arrived in Lucknow and will complete a seven-day quarantine before starting individual training, while the camp is scheduled from October 10 to December 31.

The SAI Lucknow Green Zone for the Indian Women's Wrestling Team's training camp.

The national camp for the Indian women’s wrestling team commenced on October 10th at SAI Lucknow. This will be the first training camp for the women’s wrestlers since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March this year.

The wrestlers have arrived in Lucknow and will complete a seven-day quarantine before starting their individual training. The camp is scheduled from October 10 to December 31 and will comprise 16 wrestlers and 4 support staff.

Campers will be staying in the residential facilities at SAI Lucknow. Elaborate safety precautions have been made at the campus in order to maintain a safe bio-bubble for the wrestlers to train.

The safe handling of food at the Indian Women's Wrestling camp in Lucknow.

This has been done in the form of a colour code zoning -- Green Zone, Yellow Zone and Red Zone. In order to maintain safety protocols, all visitors will be screened for symptoms.

Kuldeep Malik, chief coach of the Indian Women’s Wrestling team said: “Of course, due to the precautions because of the coronavirus, for the first week of training we will be maintaining social distancing, after which we will start regular training. By Sunday, all the campers will get their Covid reports and hopefully it will come out negative, so we are confident that all arrangements will be in place for regular training to happen.”

Malik added that with the World Championships scheduled in December, he expects India to return with its best ever medal haul.

Staying arrangements have been done for the campers in the elite hostel in a secure manner with all facilities provided. Regular monitoring of athletes' temperature and oxygen levels are done.

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World Championship bronze medalist and Arjuna Award recipient, Pooja Dhanda, said: “The facilities in the room are very good and we have been provided everything. We really feel like we are national campers. We are getting daily updates in the morning about our food and menu, everything is very proper and systemized and the food here is very good."

Safe handling of food has been ensured at the campus so that it can reach the athletes and support staff by avoiding any contact. All the personnel who have access to the green zone have been tested for Covid. And those involved in preparation and handling of food are staying within the campus premises.

India has so far won one Olympic quota in women’s wrestling through Vinesh Phogat in women’s 53 kg category. Two further qualification tournaments, Asian and World qualification tournaments are scheduled next year where India will get an opportunity to win an Olympic quota in the remaining five women’s wrestling events.