'Monitoring China's COVID scenario': Anurag Thakur on whether Asian Games would go ahead

Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Sports, has commented on the possibility of postponing Asian Games due to rising cases of COVID-19 in China. The Asian Games are set to take place in China later this year. In an interview with news agency ANI, Thakur stated that the government is "closely" monitoring the situation in China and that a decision will be made in due time. The conduct of the Asian Games, according to Thakur, is dependent on the host nation's preparations, which in this case is China.

"We are monitoring the situation there. It depends on the preparations of the host country & an appropriate decision will be taken," Thakur was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

2022 Asian Games

The Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 10 to September 25. The multi-sport event, which is organised every four years, has come under the scanner due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in China. The Communist government in Beijing has already shut down multiple cities due to the emergence of new cases in the past couple of weeks.

China is yet to make a decision on the Asian Games this year but chances are the event will go ahead as planned. Thakur, on the other hand, has said that the Indian government will make a decision on the matter very soon. 

Thakur's comment came as he inaugurated the second edition of the government's Khelo Masters Games initiative at Tyagraj Stadium in New Delhi. According to reports, nearly 3000 master players from across the country will take part in the Games in 8 different disciplines.

Earlier this month, Thakur chaired a meeting to assess the preparedness of Indian athletes for the upcoming Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. The meeting was held on April 8, where members discussed ways to further strengthen India's existing sporting system so that more athletes could win medals for the country.

The meeting was attended by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary-general Rajeev Mehta, DG Sports Authority of India (SAI) Sandip Pradhan, and representatives from the national sports federations.

Image: PTI