Tokyo Olympics: Chinese athletes raise red flag in their hotel

By Asianet Newsable English | First Published Jul 12, 2021, 4:05 PM IST

The Chinese sailing team, after arriving in Enoshima, a small island for the sailing events, said there were insufficient precautions at their hotel.

The Chinese athletes who are in Tokyo for the upcoming Olympics have complained of poor prevention measures at their hotel in the city, which will increase the risk of Covid-19 infection.

The pandemic has already caused a variety of hurdles for the Games and has led to the ban on fans from the event and venues.

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Only a few outlying areas are allowed a small number of domestic fans. Overseas audiences had been banned months ago in order to maintain the safety of athletes and curb the chance of a massive spread of the virus at the event.

China's sailing team, after arriving in Enoshima, which is a small island for the sailing events, said there were insufficient precautions at their hotel.

Zhang Xiaodong, the head of the Chinese Sailing Association, told Xinhua that even though the Chinese team lives on one floor, mixing with tourists in the hotel is certainly a hidden danger.

He said that the team is consulting with the Organizing Committee on this issue.

The Olympic Village in Tokyo itself is sealed and is only open to authorised staff, but sailing and windsurfing events will be held far away from the Village, and the teams are staying at a designated Olympics hotels near the venue.

Even though the International Olympic Committee has released a playbook that offers and outlines safety guidelines for the athletes and teams, it also absolves itself of any responsibility if they contract the virus.

Organisers have also said that athletes will be tested every day once in Tokyo. They also said that about 80% of the athletes would be partially vaccinated before the games begin on the 23rd of July, even though it is not mandatory.

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