Aarogya Setu must, no sparring, no baton exchange for contact sports

Athletics, hockey, badminton, boxing and shooting were among the 11 disciplines that were permitted to resume outdoor training following relaxations in the lockdown.

Baton exchange won’t be allowed in relay training, boxers will not have access to rings and only singles players will get to practice at indoor badminton courts, according to the Sports Authority of India’s SOP for resumption of training, the timeline for which is still not clear.

Athletics, hockey, badminton, boxing and shooting were among the 11 disciplines that were permitted to resume outdoor training following relaxations in the lockdown. Weightlifters, archers, cyclists, fencers, wrestlers, and paddlers, too, can resume training with requisite safety measures. The document makes the Aarogya Setu app mandatory for all athletes and staff and calls for strict social distancing at training.

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The SOP, however, prohibits sparring for contact disciplines and has barred the use of swimming pools for now.

The SOP came after the Centre allowed the opening of sports complexes and stadia in its guidelines for the fourth phase of the lockdown, which has been extended till May 31. But there has been no clarity on when the training will resume.

Asian Games 2018: 16-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary claims gold on debut

The 16-year-old Chaudhary, who topped the qualifying round, shot a Games record score of 240.7 to pip Japan's Tomoyuki Matsuda.

Debutant teenager Saurabh Chaudhary clinched India's first shooting gold of the 18th Asian Games, fetching the top honours in the men's 10m air pistol event here today.

The 16-year-old Chaudhary, who topped the qualifying round, shot a Games record score of 240.7 to pip Japan's Tomoyuki Matsuda (239.7) in an exciting final to add a gold to India's shooting tally of two silver and a bronze this Asiad.

Hobby shooter Abhishek Verma, also making his Asian Games debut at 29, settled for the bronze medal in the same event with a score of 219.3.

In second position for most of the final, Chaudhary grabbed the lead after Matsuda fired 8.9 in his penultimate shot. The Indian went ahead with a 10.2 off his second-last shot and held the nerve to stay ahead.

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With a lot of medals on the line, athletes of 45 nations, playing 58 different kinds of sports, will give their best to win one of those at the 18th Asian Games at Jakarta Palembang. Indian athletes would love to prove their mettle in various events like Kabaddi, Shooting, Volleyball, Wushu, and others.

Hopes of Indian fans would be high after Bajrang Punia won the first gold medal for India at Asian Games 2018. In Badminton, the women's team will take on Japan in team qualifier event.

Men's hockey team play against Indonesia. In shooting, India will present their challenge in various categories and the responsibility to clinch medal will be on them.

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