New Delhi, Apr 7 (IANS): Following the second wave of Covid-19 across India, the Sports Authority of India has released a new set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to curb the spread of virus at the SAI campuses and National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs).

Weekly testing of all athletes, support staff and members of administration will be conducted. Strict quarantine norms have been set up.

"However, all precautions and norms will be implemented keeping in mind the Olympic probables, so that their training does not suffer. Special schedules and staggered timings have been drawn up, so that there is no interruption in their training," said a statement from SAI.

The new SOPs state that the athlete should take an RT-PCR test within 72 hours before arrival and should be allowed in the centre only if the report is negative.

The Olympic probables attending national camps will have to follow a seven-day quarantine period with training allowed under Covid-19 protocols.

The training will be conducted in staggered timings under the supervision of a coach.

Further, an RT-PCR test will be conducted for national camp members on the sixth day of quarantine and thereafter, every week. Athletes will be allowed to train only if found negative, and will be treated according to state government protocols if they test positive.