"The tournament will take place in a bio-secure environment": AFC Women's Asian Cup
Xtra Time Web Desk: As Maharashtra is all set to host the upcoming event, AFC Women's Asian Cup, the organizers are taking every possible step to maintain COVID-19 safety protocols with less interaction of the teams to the outside world.
Top 12 leading Asian teams will compete against each other in AFC Women's Asian Cup from 20th January to 6th February, this year.
Keeping in mind COVID-19 protocols, everyone associated the tournament will be staying inside the bio-bubble and every player would be tested every 72 hours.
"The tournament will take place in a bio-secure environment, when the team lands in Mumbai, there is a separate way for them to come out. They will be tested for Covid-19 and immediately they would be shifted to the team hotel which is also in a bio-bubble. Till the time they get their negative RT-PCR report, they will be isolated in the team hotel. Only when the entire team gets their negative RT-PCR reports, they are allowed to train in and around the stadium," sources in the know of developments told ANI.
"There is no other interaction apart from going to the stadium. Even the hotels are in bio-bubbles so the hotel staff, chefs, technicians will stay in the hotel. No one will go inside and no one will go outside. Everyone will be in the bubble including the bus drivers, even the Local Organising Committee is not interacting with the team. Everyone will be tested every 72 hours," the official further explained.
No teams will be given seven days quarantine period after the government gave an exemption looking at how the tournament will be played in a bio-bubble.
"Yes, there is an exemption for international teams regarding seven-day institutional quarantine. The basic reason behind this is that they are coming from one bio-bubble and entering another. For all the teams, they have a separate counter and testing area at the airport to ensure that they do not interact with many people at the airport," sources said.
On being questioned about how the organizers have taken precautions in case any player ends up being test positive the sources said, "If a player ends up testing positive during the tournament, they will be isolated completely. Till the time that player is not negative, they would not be allowed to take the ground."
The AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 will be played in three stadiums at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai and the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune with all three venues and training facilities spruced up.
The D.Y. Patil Stadium, the venue of the Final on February 6, has seen the renovation of floodlights while the pitch has been upgraded to meet international standards.
