 "Mirabai Chanu keen to resume training; Rijiju asks SAI to lay down rules")
Ace India weightlifter Mirabai Chanu on Monday stated that she is eager to resume training so that she can give her best at the Tokyo Olympics which have now been postponed to next year due to coronavirus pandemic.
The lifters are currently staying at Sports Authority of India's National Center of Excellence in Patiala.
All training of athletes have been suspended since March 25 due to coronavirus pandemic which has hit the entire globe.
"We are in a safe and protected environment here in the SAI training center. We are doing basic fitness, but I am eager to resume active training so that I can give my best in Olympics in Tokyo," Chanu said during the interaction with Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Rijiju spoke to nine elite weightlifters, including Chanu, and chief coach Vijay Sharma and sought their feedback on resumption of training in a phased manner amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"I understand that our weightlifters need to get back to active training in view of the upcoming Olympics," Rijiju said.
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"We have formed a committee at SAI to create a Standard Operation Procedure to be followed strictly during training. We have included medical experts in the committee so that health-related precautions are included in the SOP.
"The feedback that I have taken from athletes and chief coach today will be used to draft the SOP for weightlifting. I am hopeful that the report of the committee will be ready soon and we will be able to come back to you with a decision regarding the resumption of training," he added.
"We want our athletes to start training but it cannot be at the cost of their health. We must take all necessary precautions before we take a decision."
The meeting was attended by Sports Secretary Ravi Mital, SAI director Sandip Pradhan, Secretary General of Weightlifting Federation of India Sahdev Yadav and other senior officials.
Speaking to the Sports Minister individually, Chanu, Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Rakhi Halder, Ajay Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Satish Shivalingam, Sneha Soren, Achinta Sheuli and Raja Muthupandi, stated that since the environment inside the SAI training center is safe, they would like to resume active training.
