The Covid-19 outbreak in their camp was not the only off-field challenge the Indian team had to overcome on their way to the U-19 World Cup triumph.
According to Lobzang G. Tenzing, who was the team manager for the colts, seven unvaccinated members of the side were detained at the Port of Spain airport for more than 24 hours and the issue was resolved only after the ICC, BCCI and the respective governments stepped in.
Left-arm pacer Ravi Kumar and opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi were among the players who were told to “go back to India” as they were not jabbed.
“After we landed in Port of Spain, we had to take a chartered flight to Guyana, but seven of our boys were stopped as they were not vaccinated. We tried to explain to the immigration officials that India had not yet started their (the under-18 age group) vaccination, but they instructed us to take the next flight out of the country,” Tenzing, who heads the Sikkim Cricket Association, revealed.
This happened in January’s first week when India had just started the vaccination drive for the 15-18 age group.
“We were surrounded by security guys of the airlines as if we would run away from there. I decided to stay with the boys. It was only after the intervention of the ICC and the local government that the matter could be resolved. It was quite a harrowing experience for the boys,” he recalled.
In Guyana, a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad jolted India’s campaign further in the tournament. Besides five of the players, Tenzing and a couple of other administrative staff also tested positive for the virus. According to Tenzing, they were not assisted with proper medical help by the organisers.