Page 44 - The Indian EYE 070921

SPORTS JULY 09, 2021 | The Indian Eye 44

TOKYO OLYMPICs 2021

hopes of medals amid fear of pandemic

The Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 23-August 8 this year. The event was

supposed to go ahead last year but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Our Bureau Sindhu gets and easy draw

New Delhi Rio Olympics silver med-
allist PV Sindhu on Thursday
he Indian Olympic Asso- was given a comparatively eas-
ciation (IOA) on Thurs-
Tday confirmed that the ier path in the upcoming To-
Olympic-bound contingent kyo Olympics, beginning July
would leave for Tokyo on July 17. 23. Sindhu has been selected in
The IOA had sent in a re- Group J of women’s singles and
she has been seeded sixth. The
quest to the Tokyo Organis- 2019 World Champion Sindhu
ing Committee of the Olym- will lock horns against Hong
pic Games (TOCOG) to seek Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi and
further clarifications regarding
their arrival in Tokyo. The Japa- Israel’s Ksenia Polikarpova on
nese government has put in new the league stage.
When it comes to the men’s
regulations which will not allow category, Sai Praneeth has also
the Indian athletes to physically been given a respite as he has
interact with anyone from an- been seeded 13th in Group D.
other team, delegation or coun- A man poses a victory sign during the solidarity run organized by
try for three days on arrival. Arunachal Pradesh to support the Team India representing in Tokyo Olym- Praneeth will clash against Mark
“Since we have not received the pics 2021, in Itanagar on Wednesday. (ANI) Caljouw of the Netherlands and
necessary approvals from TO- Israel’s Misha Zilberman in the
league stage.
COG hence we are now coordi- Men’s doubles pair of Chi-
nating for the departure of the rag Shetty and Satwiksairaj
Indian contingent to now de- Rankireddy have been placed in
part from India on 17 July 2021
and arrive in Tokyo on 18 July Group A.
2021. We are extremely disap- The duo will have to square
pointed that our request has not off against the top seed Indone-
sian pair of Kevin Sanjaya Su-
been approved, however, given kamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi
the medical protocols imposed Gideon, Chinese Taipei’s Lee
on India for the 7 days prior to Yang and Wang Chi-Lin and
departure we have no other op-
tion now, but then to depart on England’s duo of Ben Lane and
17 July 2021 and arrive in Tokyo Sean Vendy. In the singles com-
petition, the top player from
on 18 July 2021,” the IOA wrote each group will qualify for the
to TOCOG on Thursday. knock-out stages.
In the letter, the IOA also Indian woman swimmer Maana Patel practices after she qualifies for
put down various questions like Tokyo Olympics, in Ahmedabad on Saturday. (ANI) Sai praneeth is confident
can a coach attending with a dif-
ferent delegation get access to lage within 48 hours of the con- Earlier, ANI had reported Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth,
support the Indian athlete? clusion of the competition. In that the Indian Olympic-bound India’s sole men’s singles repre-
sentative in Badminton at Tokyo
“However, with reference to these specific cases will we also contingent would leave for To- 2020, is confident ahead of his
our earlier discussions regard- be required to submit a “Peri- kyo on July 17. Olympic debut as the 28-year-
ing the departure of athletes od of Stay Exemption Request The Tokyo Olympics will be old shuttler believes he holds an
after their competition finish- Form” with the request to allow held from July 23-August 8 this
es and that flights to India are the athletes/support staff to re- year. The event was supposed advantage going into the show-
limited and, in some case, the main in the village until flights to go ahead last year but it was piece event.
athletes/support staff may not are available,” asks the IOA in postponed due to the Covid-19 Praneeth has maintained
be able to departure the vil- its letter. pandemic. Continued on next page... >>

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