Sports Ministry seeks MEA help to complete vaccination of seven athletes based abroad
With less then three weeks to go for the Tokyo Olympics, the Sports Ministry has sought the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs to complete the Covid-19 vaccination of seven Indian athletes and 17 support staff now based overseas.
The sportspersons include javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who is based in Uppasala in Sweden, boxers Manish Kaushik, Satish Kumar, Pooja Rani and Simranjeet Kaur who are in Assisi, Italy, and wrestlers Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia, who are in Russia.
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In Sweden, Covishield (AstraZeneca) is available only for those above the age of 65. Italy’s vaccination policy makes it difficult for the Indian boxers to receive their second shots of Covishield there while Russia has only Sputnik vaccine.
It is likely that the Indians athletes and the support staff will get their second doses in the Indian missions in those countries.
The four boxers and 11 coaching and support staff, who need the vaccine, were originally slated to return to India from its base in Italy on July 8.
