Para athlete Nishad Kumar tests positive for COVID-19

New Delhi:Indian para athlete Nishad Kumar has tested positive for COVID-19 and shifted to a hospital as a precautionary measure, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said on Sunday.

Nishad Kumar had won a gold medal in the men's high jump T46/47 event at the Fazza World Para Athletics Grand Prix that was recently held in Dubai.

"Nishad had arrived at the SAI Bengaluru campus on 23rd/24th February along with three fellow national campers (2 athletes and 1 support staff) and went for mandatory 7 day quarantine upon arrival. As per SAI SOP, an RT PCR test was done on the 6th day of quarantine, where he came COVID positive," SAI said in a statement.

The governing body said Nishad "has been moved to SS Sparsh Multi-speciality hospital as a precautionary measure" and "quarantine of all other national campers in SAI, Bengaluru has been extended for 7 more days."

Para-Athletics coach Satyanarayana, who had tested positive last week and was in the same hospital, has now been discharged. He is now under seven days quarantine.

Last December, Gajender, coach and husband of para-athlete Simran, and para athletics coach Nawal Singh had tested positive for COVID-19.