India's Chief National Coach of badminton, Pullela Gopichand has been put under 14 days quarantine period by the Telangana authorities after his return from Andhra Pradesh in the wake of coronavirus.

The former badminton player had rushed to Guntur, Andhra Pradesh from Hyderabad, Telangana to see his ailing grandmother on Monday. 

Speaking to Zee Media, Gopichand said that he had gone to Guntur from Hyderabad to see his grandmother, who is not keeping up well. However, while after returning, he was marked quarantine by the Telangana authorities. 

Gopichand, however, clarified that he does not have any symptoms and the quarantine stamp is part of the norms. The Padma Bhushan recipient further stated that he will abide by the quarantine rules and stay at home.

Meanwhile, all sporting events are on a halt due to the coronavirus outbreak. Almost all tournaments and events are getting either postponed or cancelled and Gopichand had suggested building a quarantine facility for Olympic hopefuls.

This would help athletes ahead of Tokyo Games which has now been postponed to 2021 in the wake of the pandemic. 

“It might even be a good idea to look at a quarantine facility for Olympic hopefuls from all sports. For example, since inter-city travel is not possible, athletes from the same city can stay at a facility which allows them to train for the upcoming events. We might also have to plan for domestic leagues and tournaments because restrictions in India could be lifted before those of other countries.  Since global tournaments would not be taking place, there will be a need to replace those with quality domestic competitions to make up for the loss of international exposure,” Gopichand had told WION.

“We are going through an unprecedented crisis, so adjustments need to be made. For example, I had never used a mobile phone application for training, but we are forced to do that now and that has become the norm. So we are looking at different ways to help the players enhance their skills during this lockdown. Adaptability is the key, we have to make quick decisions and think out of the box,” he had added.