CHENNAI: As many as five athletes in the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru were down with dengue over the last 10 days to two weeks. It is understood that at least four are junior hockey players, all of whom are in the core probables for the junior World Cup, to be held in Bhubaneswar from November 24.
Dengue tests were ordered for athletes after they complained of ‘fever and general tiredness’, according to an SAI source. Apart from the five positive cases, other tests returned negative.
“All of them have recovered now,” the source said.
“We took one athlete to a hospital as a precautionary measure but all of them are back and feeling fine now. There are no problems.” The mosquito-borne illness has been on the rise in the city and the SAI officials have never undertaken measures to keep it in check inside the premises.
To ensure there isn’t an outbreak, the authorities are fumigating twice every day. “We are fumigating the place twice every day. Apart from that, there are mosquito repellents available.” In 2020, men’s senior team goalkeeper, Suraj Karkera, had to be admitted to a city hospital after testing positive for dengue. Karkera was also staying inside the same campus when he contracted the illness.
