IOA thanks SpiceJet for agreeing to fly Olympic-bound athletes, officials to Tokyo
New Delhi [India], June 20 Indian Olympics association on Sunday thanked Ajay Singh, the president of the Boxing Federation of India and Spice Jet’s managing director, for organising charter flights to Tokyo for the Indian Olympic contingent.
SpiceJet has agreed to fly a special flight for Indian athletes and officials to Tokyo on July 17 after two airlines on Saturday cancelled their scheduled flights, in which 81 Indian athletes and officials were booked to fly to Japan for the upcoming Olympics.
“President, Secretary-General and the IOA Family wish to thank and express their gratitude to Mr Ajay Singh President Boxing Federation of India & Chairman and Managing Director SpiceJet, for agreeing to fly a Special SpiceJet flight for Indian Athletes and Officials to Tokyo on 17th July after 2 Airlines on 19th June Cancelled their Scheduled flights for 17th & 18th July to Tokyo, in which 81 Indian Athletes and officials were booked to fly to Tokyo,” IOA President Narinder Batra and Secretary-General Rajeev Mehta said in a letter addressed to SpiceJet director, Ajay Singh.
IOA pointed, “The situation got worsened after the latest conditions imposed by TOCOG on 18th June for three days quarantine like conditions for Athletes flying out of India.”
“Further, the Athletes and the officials can enter the games village only five days prior to their event and under the new prevailing conditions if we wasted two days due to flight change and three days of quarantine like conditions then Indian Athletes would have to go straight for competition without any training and directly from their rooms after three days of quarantine like conditions. IOA had to ensure that Athletes leave on 17th July and SpiceJet supported IOA and solved the crisis,” the letter read.
Earlier on Saturday, IOA questioned the new regulations put in place by the Japanese government which has advised Indian athletes to not physically interact with anyone from another team, delegation or country for three days on arrival.
IOA in a letter addressed to TOCOG [Tokyo Organising Committee] strongly opposed these new rules and termed them as “unfair and discriminatory” against Indian athletes.