MHA announces reopening of swimming pools from Oct 15
   Date :01-Oct-2020

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Sports Reporter ;
 
IN WHAT might be a good news to the swimming fraternity, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in its latest order on Wednesday, announced reopening of pools across the country from October 15. However, it remains to be seen whether Maharashtra Government and the local authority — the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, also allow the swimming pools to become functional with fear of dreaded coronavirus still looming large.
 
The swimming pools across the country were closed since March 24 because of the COVID-19 induced lockdown. It had an impact on top national swimmers and Olympic hopefuls who were forced to train in the United Arab Emirates. “Swimming pools being used for training of sportspersons will be permitted to open, for which the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be issued by Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYA&S),” the MHA said in its recent order. In its SOP released in May, the Sports Authority of India had left out swimming after MHA had barred pools from reopening.
 
After repeated complaints from the swimmers, the SAI in August had arranged for a training camp in Dubai. The swimmers were supposed to train at Dubai’s Aqua Nation Swimming Academy. They were expected to be accompanied by coach A C Jayarajan for a two-month stint at a cost of around Rs 35 lakh ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Swimming had been hit hard by the pandemic as pools and complexes across the country remained shut ever since the lockdown was announced on March 24. (With inputs from PTI)