KT Irfan, PU Chitra, 19 other athletes test negative for coronavirus, health of one positive athlete being monitored

Race walker KT Irfan, middle and long-distance athletes PU Chitra, Sandeep Kumar, and para-athlete Mariyappan are among the 21 athletes who have tested negative for coronavirus, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) informed on Friday.

Hockey players Chinglensena and Vivek Sagar are also among those who have tested negative for COVID-19 after repeat RT PCR tests was done on the athletes.

"During weekly test conducted at SAI Bengaluru on May 6 and 7, 22 athletes tested positive for coronavirus. They were asymptomatic and isolated and kept under medical observation. 21 of the 22 athletes have since tested negative after a repeat RT PCR test was done," SAI said in an official statement.

"Among those who have tested negative are, race walker KT Irfan, middle and long distance athletes PU Chitra and Sandeep Kumar and para athlete Mariyappan. Hockey players Chinglensena and Vivek Sagar are also among those who have tested negative," it added.

In SAI Bengaluru where athletes in hockey, track and field, and para-athletics are based, all the athletes were vaccinated on April 29.

During the repeat testing on Monday and Thursday, 21 of the 22 athletes returned negative RT-PCR tests. The team of doctors is monitoring the health of the one athlete who continues to remain positive.

According to SAI, due to the surge of coronavirus cases across the country, the decision was taken in March that all athletes and support staff based in SAI regional centres would be subject to weekly testing to ensure their safety.

( With inputs from ANI )