Each Asian Games-bound athlete will receive Rs 10 lakhs each, to support their training, preparation, and participation, a CMO release said.

The CM expressed hope that the athletes will showcase their talent at the Games and this incentive will help them to focus solely on their training and performance.

Notably, 13 athletes from Odisha have qualified for the multi-sport event that features the best athletes from all across the Asian continent. They are Kishore Jena in Athletics; Anshika Bharati, Ritu Kaudi and Sonali swain in Rowing; Anupama Swain in Ju-Jitsu; Neha Devi Leichondam in Kayaking & Canoeing; Pyari Xaxa in Football; Deep Grace Ekka and Amit Rohidas in Hockey and Dumuni Marndi, Tarulata Naik, Mama Naik, and Hupi Majhi, four Odisha Rugby Football Association (ORFA) players, who have been named in the Indian squad.

The 19th Asian Games was initially slated to be held in September 2022. However, it was postponed to the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 634 Indian athletes will be taking part in Hangzhou 2022.

Asked at a media briefing here about the restrictions on Chinese travellers, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning went on the offensive saying, “We do not believe the entry restriction measures some countries have taken against China are science-based”.

“Some of these measures are disproportionate and simply unacceptable. We firmly reject using Covid measures for political purposes and will take corresponding measures in response to varying situations via the principle of reciprocity,” she said, without elaborating.

“Health experts from many countries have said that the main variant now spreading in China has previously been found elsewhere already and that a new variant can emerge anywhere on the planet, which means entry restrictions targeting China are unnecessary,” she said.

“China always believes that for all countries, Covid response measures need to be science-based and proportionate. They should not be used for political manipulation, there should not be discriminatory measures against certain countries, and measures should not affect normal travel and people-to-people exchange and cooperation,” she said.

Starting from January 8, China will practically abandon its three-year-old stringent zero-Covid policy and its international isolation by fully opening its airports and ports for travel and trade, amidst the current massive coronavirus outbreak in the country.

The development comes at a time when China is grappling with a sudden spurt in infections fuelled by the Omicron variants after the Xi Jinping regime relaxed its stringent zero-Covid policy following a wave of anti-government protests.

While the announcement of scrapping all quarantine rules was widely welcomed at home, the timing of the opening also fuelled concerns abroad as it comes ahead of the country’s annual Spring Festival on January 22 during which millions of Chinese will travel to destinations all over the world.

It was the spring festival travels by the Chinese in 2020, especially from Wuhan where the coronavirus broke out that was largely blamed for its massive spread in the world, causing death and devastation unseen in the century.

The epidemiologist predicts that within the next 90 days, more than 60% of China and 10% of the global population are likely to contract the disease, with millions of fatalities expected.

R is equal to 16 for the current Omicron model. Every time someone contracts the infection, 16 more people do as well, he continued.

According to media sources, five fatalities and 2,722 new symptomatic coronavirus infections were recorded in China on Monday. According to a story from India Today, hospitals are overflowing with COVID patients, and numerous cities’ crematoriums are overflowing with dead.

Christopher Murray, the director of IHME, predicted that the number of COVID-19 cases in China will reach a peak around April 1 and surpass 322,000 fatalities. By then, a third of the Chinese population would have contracted the disease.

After an enormous public uproar, China abolished the strictest COVID restrictions in the world on December 7.

At the virtual BRICS annual summit in presence of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, and top leaders of Brazil and South Africa Modi Remarked on it . This year China is hosting the BRICS summit.

The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade.

During his brief address, PM Modi said the BRICS nations have a similar approach to the governance of the global economy. He also expressed happiness over the rise in membership of the New Development Bank (NDB).

Modi during his address also reminded how the citizens are getting benefits in multiple areas because of the cooperation between the BRICS nations. He also also said on the occasion how increased connectivity between BRICS Youth Summits, BRICS Sports, civil society organizations and think-tanks has strengthened people-to-people connection among BRICS nations.

“BRICS members have a similar approach regarding the governance of the global economy. Our mutual cooperation can make a useful contribution to the global post-COVID recovery,” PM Modi added.

This was PM Modi’s second address at BRICS 2022. Earlier on Wednesday, he had said that the Indian economy is expected to grow by 7.5 per cent this year which is making India, the fastest growing major economy. He also said that the value of India’s digital economy will reach USD one trillion by 2025.

He added that Transformative changes are taking place in every sector in the emerging ‘New India’. “In order to deal with the economic problems arising out of the pandemic, in India we have adopted the mantra of “reform, perform and transform. And the results of this approach are evident from the performance of the Indian economy,” PM Modi had said.