"We Just Can't Ignore Sports Section": PT Usha Urges Kerala CM To Vaccinate Athletes

On Monday, PT Usha addressed Kerala's Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on behalf of all the sportspersons. She appealed to him to vaccinate all the sportspersons in the state, who will be participating in the National Inter-State Championships.

"A humble request to @CMOKerala to vaccinate sports persons, their coaches, support staff & medical team, who will participate in the forth coming National & other competition on priority," PT Usha tweeted.

Urgent: a humble request to @CMOKerala to vaccinate sports persons, their coaches, support staff & medical team, who will participate in the forth coming National & other competition on priority. We just can't ignore sports section! @vijayanpinarayi @MoHFW_INDIA @KirenRijiju

— P.T. USHA (@PTUshaOfficial) June 7, 2021

The National Inter-State Championships will be held in Patiala, Punjab from June 25 to 29. This will be the last chance for Indian athletes, to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, which will be held from July 23 to August 8 this year. The deadline for the qualification, for athletics, is June 29.

Meanwhile, India's vaccination policy has reportedly pushed for vaccinating athletes, and most of them have already got at least the first dose.

120 athletes and para-athletes have got their first dose of the vaccine, while 58 athletes and four para-athletes have got their second dose. Besides them, 114 coaches and support staff have got their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 37 got their second dose too.

"Of the actual Olympic bound athletes, only 5 are left for their 1st dose. All five were Covid positive and have since recovered," sources in the known developments told ANI. The sportspersons who are yet to get vaccinated are Boxer Simranjeet, four Shooters Saurabh Chaudhary, Rahi Sarnobat, Deepak Kumar, and Mairaj Ahmed Khan.

In May this year, the Kerala government had announced that 32 categories got added for prioritisation for vaccination. However, sportspersons weren't listed at all. Last week, Kerala's Health Minister, Veena George said that people above 40 years of age were eligible for the vaccination. The chief minister too confirmed this, by saying that this age group will be vaccinated first, with the first dose by July 15.