PV Sindhu has reportedly gone in self-quarantine after returning from England where she played in 2020 All England Open. Sindhu was knocked out of the quarter-finals in Birmingham following a three-game quarter-final defeat to Akane Yamaguchi of Japan although she was only Indian to make it to the quarters with the others, barring young Lakshya Sen, crashing out in the very first round. Since her return to India, Sindhu has been in self-isolation and has reportedly been asked to stay in quarantine for at least two weeks to avoid getting into contact with the COVID-19 virus. But what has concerned her family more is the reigning World Champion’s participation at the Olympics and her preparation for it. PV Sindhu Takes WHO's #SafeHands Challenge; Nominates Virat Kohli, Sania Mirza and Kiren Rijiju As Coronavirus Fears Grow.

Despite the global coronavirus outbreak the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo Games organisers have refused to postpone or suspend the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, which is scheduled to start on July 24, 2020. The committee has received several backlashes for its reluctance to postpone or reschedule this year’s Olympics but is adamant in holding the Olympics as per schedule. And with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) also backing the parent body, the athletes must prepare themselves for the multi-sport event.

But training and preparing for the upcoming Olympics is currently beyond thought with the restrictions and closures put forward by the government. For example, in Telangana, the government has instructed to shut all academies, indoor stadiums and training centres leaving the likes of Sindhu without a facility to train.

“It’s a specific notification from the Telangana government to close down all indoor, outdoor stadiums, summer camps, etc,” national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand quoted as saying to Hindustan Times. “We have all come from various places via Dubai and Doha, so two weeks of isolation is required and we will follow that. They have said March 31. We will see after that” added Gopichand, under who Sindhu and most top shuttlers of the country trains.

Sindhu’s father PV Ramana, on the other, is looking for alternate options to get his daughter to somehow train and prepare for the upcoming Olympics without any risk. They can’t travel abroad to train due to the travel restrictions. “All academies are shut currently. After one week we will see whether we can take some permission for Sindhu,” Raman, a former Indian Volleyball player and a 1986 Asian Games bronze medallist, told the national daily. “Those who are going to the Olympics have to be in preparation mode or else it will be difficult. The Olympics is not postponed, it’s four months away.”

Both Ramana and Gopichand were present when Sidhu became only the second Indian to clinch an Olympic medal – a silver after an 83-minute gruelling final clash against Carolina Marin at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. She was the first Indian women to win Olympic silver and youngest ever. And four year after that triumph, Sindhu still remains India brightest hope for Olympic gold.

“We can then take precaution, maintain distance and continue with training. The best possible way is to request the authorities to allow those shuttlers who are confirmed for Olympics as of now,” said Ramana citing Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju’s statement that Olympic-bound athletes must be allowed to train.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2020 02:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).