But those athletes, representing various sports, were not there to compete. They lined up to receive their first jab of a COVID-19 vaccine as part of the second phase of the government’s vaccination program.

Swimmer I Gede Siman Sudartawa, who specializes in backstroke, said he planned to go straight to the gym after receiving the jab, saying he had not felt any side effects.

“I asked [the health workers] if I could exercise after this, and they said yes as long as I don’t experience any side effects. But if, for example, I get a headache, they suggested that I get some rest,” he said on Friday.

Echoing Siman, sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri cheerfully said he only felt a little sore on the spot where he had received the shot on his arm.

For Zohri, the vaccine could mean a boost in confidence as the young gun had already secured a spot to compete at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. However, tryouts before the big event have yet to be held and he has not received any information about competing in tournaments in the near future.

“Right now, I’m just focusing on training, especially sharpening the technical aspects,” he said. “We can’t [compete] because of the coronavirus. I just treat every practice like a real competition; that’s what keeps me going.”

An entire year without the competitive pressure of a tournament has taken a toll on Indonesia’s athletes. Zohri conceded that sometimes laziness would creep in, but thanks to a program designed by his coach, Eni Nuraeni, the Lombok-born sprinter from West Nusa Tenggara has been able to maintain his fighting spirit.

“Ibu [Eni] hosts a [performance] test every two or three months. That motivates me as I still haven’t been able to compete until now.”

Read also: Private vaccination may risk equal access in Indonesia's COVID-19 response

In his last test, the 20-year-old recorded one of his personal bests by clocking in at 6.40 seconds for 60 meters of a 100 m distance. Despite the achievement, he said he still had to improve his skills, especially in the last 40 meters, as he felt that nerves would likely get the best of him during the last part of the track.

Zohri will compete in the men’s 100 m at the Olympics and he aims to finish the race in under 10 seconds. His personal best is 10.03, which secured him a bronze medal in the 2019 Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Osaka, Japan.

Athletes are part of the government’s second-phase vaccine recipients, along with the elderly and public workers.

Some observers, however, have questioned the urgency of inoculating athletes. Epidemiologist Dicky Budiman from Griffith University in Australia, for example, has reiterated the urgency of focusing the vaccine drive on the elderly, people with comorbidities and essential workers.

Nevertheless, the Health Ministry placed athletes in the same group after acknowledging that they travel frequently.

According to the Youth and Sports Ministry, the first phase of the vaccination program for the country’s sports community would be distributed to around 5,000 athletes, coaches and officials.

Some 820 received their first jab at Friday’s event at Istora Senayan.

So far, only the national badminton and tennis teams are set to send their athletes to international tournaments soon.

After taking part in the Asian leg, consisting of three consecutive tournaments in Thailand in January, the badminton team will head to Europe in March to participate in the Swiss Open and prestigious All England badminton tournaments.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s top tennis players, Aldila Sutjiadi, Beatrice Gumulya and Jessy Rompies, are currently in the United States to compete at several low-level tournaments.

Read also: Sports minister eyes COVID-19 vaccines for athletes, coaches

The local soccer and basketball leagues have been granted permission to resume competitions, which will commence in March.

In the meantime, athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics in July and August have been allowed to visit Japan to train for the upcoming Games, Reuters reported. Japan’s emergency declaration is set to be lifted on March 7, with the travel ban on foreign athletes removed shortly after.

Despite no requirements for athletes to get vaccinated to compete in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) encourages each country’s team to be inoculated ahead of the Games.