AFI requests Indian Government to prioritze Olympic-bound athletes when vaccine is available for COVID-19

AFI requests Indian Government to prioritze Olympic-bound athletes when vaccine is available for COVID-19

WhatsApp Image 2020 09 17 at 4.06.23 PM

Adille Sumariwalla

Various countries including India have been involved in the process of discovering a vaccine against the COVID-19 virus. The Indian Government earlier stated that the army people and front line workers would receive the vaccine first.

AFI President Adille Sumariwalla stated that the Olympic-bound athletes should also be prioritized when a vaccine is developed against COVID-19. AFI said that it has requested the Indian Government to include the Olympic-bound athletes to the first batch too.

Once the vaccine comes out Olympic bound athletes should get it first: Adille Sumariwalla

Indians athletes to be prioritized

AFI President Adille Sumariwalla participated in a webinar yesterday along with Pullela Gopichand, Nisha Millet, Reeth Abraham and Boria Majumdar. The webinar was on ‘sports and fitness amid the lockdown and the way ahead’.

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In the webinar, Sumariwalla said, “We have already discussed this with the government and told them we will need it (vaccine) for our athletes going to the Olympics. We need to make sure once the vaccine comes out, they should be amongst the first batches to get it,”

Sumariwalla also said that World Anti Doping Agency [WADA] should realize that these vaccines in no way are to enhance the performance of the athletes but only to prevent them from getting infected of Corona Virus.  

He said, “I don’t think there is any issue with dope control because it is worldwide thing. WADA would have taken enough cognisance of the fact that these are not performance enhancing drugs and that they have been taken to protect the health and well being.”

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