Sports complexes to open, spectators barred

“Sports complexes and stadia will be permitted to open, however, spectators won’t be allowed,” read one of the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines to be followed during the lockdown, which was due to end on Monday but has been extended till May 31.

In the latest guidelines, sport continues to be listed among the functions, gatherings and large congregations which are not allowed as of now.

The only big-ticket event that was to happen in India at this time was the Indian Premier League, which was postponed indefinitely in April due to the health crisis. Despite the relaxation announced on Sunday, the IPL is unlikely to go ahead even behind closed doors anytime soon as travel restrictions -- both domestic and international -- continue to remain in place.

The lockdown originally came into effect in mid-march and Tokyo Olympics-bound elite athletes, who are based at Sports Authority of India (SAI) complexes in Patiala and Bengaluru, have been demanding a resumption of training for the past couple of weeks.

Last week, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju held a series of video conferences to take the athletes’ view on the matter.