NEW DELHI: A 15-member Indian judo team was forced to withdraw from the ongoing Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifiers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan after two judokas — Ajay Yadav and Ritu — tested positive for COVID-19 just before the start of the tournament.
Yadav, a 73kg class judoka, and Ritu (52kg) tested positive in the second test conducted after landing in Kyrgyzstan and both are asymptomatic. It became the first instance of an Indian contingent’s campaign being derailed at an Olympic qualifier because of the dreaded virus. All the 15 judokas and four coaches had returned negative in the first test conducted after landing in the central Asian country. The entire 19- member contingent is currently in quarantine at a hotel in Bishkek.
“After landing in Kyrgyzstan on April 4, there was a test done and all of us returned negative. But in the second test on April 5 just before the start of the tournament, Ajay and Ritu returned positive,” team coach Jiwan Sharma told PTI from Bishkek.
—PTI

Press Trust of India