Tokyo Olympics: IOA to ensure minimum athletes attend Opening Ceremony

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has said that it will try to ensure that the minimum number of athletes show up at the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

"We will try to keep minimum athletes at the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics keeping in mind the risk of COVID-19 infection, we don't want to risk our players at this time, it's very crucial. So that's why we are thinking to have minimum athletes," sources within the IOA told ANI.

The IOA had earlier confirmed that boxer Mary Kom and men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh would be the flagbearers for the Indian contingent at the Opening Ceremony of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Wrestler Bajrang Punia will be the flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony.

The Tokyo Olympics will begin on July 23 and the event will run up to August 8. The Olympic games were to be held last year but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 127 athletes across 18 sports disciplines from India are participating in Olympics. This is the biggest-ever contingent India is sending to any Olympics. The 69 cumulative events across the 18 sport disciplines that India will participate in are also the highest ever for the country.

The first batch of India's Olympic-bound athletes departed for Tokyo on July 17. Upon reaching, all the athletes have resumed their training to be in the best shape possible.

( With inputs from ANI )