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Minister, sport associations ‘vigilant’ to protect athletes from coronavirus
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Achmad Budiharto (The Jakarta Post/Kompas.com)
Y
o:p>Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali has asked sporting associations to stay vigilant to keep athletes from contracting the coronavirus, which has caused the deaths of at least 106 people and infected more than 4,500 in China alone.
Some of the athletes are taking part in tournaments abroad to secure their participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and other upcoming events, like the ASEAN Paragames in the Philippines.
“If the athletes are still here then I strongly suggest them to not go. We should not put our athletes’ condition on the line,” Zainudin told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
However, if any of them have already been abroad for tournaments, he said, then safety precautions would be mandatory.
The head of the Indonesian National Olympics Committee, Raja Sapta Oktohari, said he would consult the Health Ministry first before issuing recommendations for any Indonesian athletes who planned to attend any tournaments abroad.
“Our recommendation will be in line with the Health Ministry’s suggestion. So if the ministry has already said no go but the athletes insist on going, they will be going at their own risk,” he said.
The chef de mission for the ASEAN Paragames, Andi Herman, said that to date the whole contingent was in good condition and still preparing for the event.
