Possibilities of restarting sporting activities at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bengaluru received a major setback when the facility had to go into lockdown once again after one of the cooks employed there tested positive for coronavirus and passed away, according to a report in The Times of India.

The SAI centre has been hosting the Indian men and women’s hockey teams, who have been there throughout the lockdown period, along with a few athletes.

The report said the senior cook had visited the campus on Friday to attend a meeting to discuss the reopening of the mess after the end of the lockdown period.

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“He was part of a meeting which was attended by around 25-30 people. On Tuesday, all the persons who attended the meeting were asked to go into quarantine,” the report quoted sources from SAI.

“The cook was allowed into the campus after he was properly screened. He was absolutely fine on that day. Later, he was admitted to a private hospital and he passed away on Monday following a cardiac arrest. It was only on Tuesday that his sample tested positive for Covid-19,” the sources added.

Ever since the lockdown in March, the centre had stopped the entry of employees who were residing outside the campus. But with the chances of sporting activities restarting, a meeting was called to figure out a plan for which the cook was called.

The report also said that the Indian women’s hockey team had a meeting in the same hall an hour after the first meeting, which the deceased cook attended.