Saudi Arabia greenlights Haj travel, India's quota of pilgrims fixed at 79,237, say officials
New Delhi, Apr 22: Saudi Arabia has informed India that pilgrims will be able to travel to that country for Haj this year and the Indian quota has been fixed at 79,237 pilgrims due to Covid limitations, Ministry of Minority Affairs officials said on Friday.
The Saudi government has also told the Indian side that only those aged below 65 will be able to travel for Haj this year, they said.
Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said all preparations are in order for the pilgrimage and interviews for those deputed for Haj duty have also been completed.
RT-PCR test and two doses of vaccination are required by Saudi Arabia and all preparations have been made to facilitate the pilgrims, officials said.
This will be the first time since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic that pilgrims from India will travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj.
The Saudi side has informed India that the quota this year will be 79,237 pilgrims, officials said.
Out of these, 56,601 pilgrims will go through the Haj Committee of India while 22,636 will go through Haj Group Organizers.
In 2019, Saudi Arabia had increased India's Haj quota by 25,000, taking the number of pilgrims from the country who can perform Haj to 2 lakh.
But because of the Covid restrictions and limitations, the quota of countries was reduced by Saudi Arabia, officials said.
There will be 10 embarkation points instead of the 21 in pre-Covid times. These are Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, Srinagar, Bengaluru and Kochi.
Officials said this year over 5,000 women will be going for Haj without Mehram (male companion).
Digital Health Card, 'E-MASIHA' health facility and "E-luggage pre-tagging", providing all information regarding accommodation and transportation in Mecca-Madina, will be provided to all the Haj pilgrims.
Arrangements for special training on Covid protocols as well as health and hygiene have been made in India and Saudi Arabia for the Haj pilgrims, officials said.
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Former India hockey coach Michael Nobbs dies
Melbourne (PTI): Former Australian hockey player Michael Nobbs, who coached the Indian men's team at the 2012 London Olympics, has died after a prolonged illness.
He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife Lee Capes, a former Australian women's international and daughter Kaitlin, who is a current Hockeyroos star.
"Hockey Australia extends its deepest condolences to Michael’s family, friends, former teammates, players and all those whose lives and careers were shaped by his contribution to hockey. He will be remembered as a proud Kookaburra, a respected professional, and a servant of the sport," Hockey Australia said in a statement.
Nobbs represented Australia as a defender, playing across the half-back line and at fullback, and was renowned for his reliability, fitness and professionalism. He earned 76 international caps for Australia between 1979 and 1985, scoring one goal, and was a member of one of the strongest eras in Australian men’s hockey, said Hockey Australia on its website in its tribute.
Nobbs was an integral part of the Australian teams that competed at the 1981 Hockey World Cup in Bombay and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
While part of a generation widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest, he consistently held his place through hard work, discipline and trust earned from teammates and coaches, Hockey Australia wrote.
Nobbs took over the coaching of the Indian men's team in 2011 after it had failed to qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008. While India were brilliant in the qualifiers, the team finished last at the London extravaganza which also expedited the Australian coach's sacking.
Apart from India, Nobbs also coached Japan.
