Indian boxers to reach Jordan early amid COVID-19 fear

New Delhi : Agreeing to India chief coach Santiago Nieva's suggestion, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has decided to send the national team from Italy to Jordan before the scheduled departure date -- Friday.

The coach had told the federation that the situation could worsen because of coronavirus outbreak in Italy and in such a situation, the airport could be closed and so the players should be moved as early as possible.

The BFI has now made the necessary arrangement for the early departure of the team -- which can take place by Tuesday night or Wednesday.

Speaking to IANS, BFI's Executive Director R.K. Sacheti said: "The federation has arranged everything for the players and the situation is under control at present.

Santiago had conveyed us the situation. We have confirmed their bookings in Jordan and they are all set to receive the Indian team. Everything seems right now.

There was no problem in Rome airport as it is functioning. The team was supposed to leave on February 28, but we did all the possible arrangement to prepone the departure."

Meanwhile, BFI General Secretary Jay Kowli said: "The situation is not that serious. There's a fear of coronovirus so we spoke to the officials from Italy and Jordan."

Santiago had informed BFI that there was a medical emergency in Italy due to the outbreak of the deadly disease because of which the players needed to be moved to Jordan at the earliest.

The qualifiers are scheduled to be held in the Sport City in Amman from March 3-11.

The event was postponed by a month after the original host -- Wuhan in China -- went into lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Eleven Italian towns -- 10 in Lombardy and one in the north-eastern region of Veneto -- have been placed under a lockdown, according to various media reports.