New Delhi, Apr 14: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary-general Rajeev Mehta on Wednesday said the vaccination process for Tokyo-bound Olympics sportspersons will begin soon but did not specify the exact time-line for it.

Speaking at a virtual webinar organised to mark the 100 days countdown to the Tokyo Games, Mehta stressed that the safety of the Olympic-bound athletes is paramount. "We will start the vaccination process soon so that our athletes are safe. A lot is invested in them and we want to be sure that they are safe," Mehta said.IOA Writes to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan for COVID-19 Vaccination of Olympics-Bound Athletes on Priority Basis.

Mehta had in February written to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, requesting him to consider vaccinating the Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes on a priority basis to give them sufficient time before leaving for the Games.

He had also requested the health minister to expedite the process earlier this month.

Last week, the Olympic-bound archers and rowers were fully vaccinated ahead of the Games at the Army Sports Institute in Pune. Recently, SAI centres across the country have reported several positive COVID-19 cases, including Olympic-bound athletes, which forced the body to announce a three-week "summer vacation" at its National Centres of Excellence.

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