Twenty Indian boxers have tested positive for COVID-19 at a two-month training camp ©Getty Images

At least 20 Indian boxers and six members of support staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at a men's training camp at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala, disrupting early preparations for a busy year featuring the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

The Times of India reported that 12 men's boxers including former youth world champion Sachin Siwach and 2017 national youth champion Mohammed Etash Khan were among the first tranche of boxers to contract the virus.

Head coach Narendra Rana and coordination coach CA Kuttappa tested positive too, along with four other members of the support team.

Eight more boxers were later reported to have returned positive tests, including Sumit and Rohit Mor.

The camp is due to stay open despite roughly a third of the team present testing positive. 

Nine India boxers competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ©Getty Images
Nine India boxers competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ©Getty Images

"The camp is continuing and all those infected are in isolation with mostly mild symptoms, it's nothing like the second wave," the Press Trust of India reports being told by a source.

"I don't think the camp will be affected, we had around 20 cases in the second wave and proceedings went on with those infected in isolation. 

"The symptoms experienced at that time were worse."

Those who have tested positive are in isolation in a quarantine facility at the NIS and are to be tested again six days after their initial positive results.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games are among the tournaments India's boxers are working towards at the camp, which is scheduled to run until March 14.