(Priyanka Gupta, Intern Journalist)New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will use battery-powered masks as a test to ensure rigorous practice for its Olympic players. This mask has been prepared by alumni of IIT Kharagpur and it has been claimed that its wearer gets maximum oxygen. The mask will have valves to breathe on both sides, which have fans, which will help provide more oxygen.
The IOA has tied up with Piyush Aggarwal of IIT Kharagpur, who owns ‘PQR Technology Private Limited’ and has also received money from the government under the ‘Kavach Mask Project’. His start-up is currently affiliated with IIT Delhi. The brand name of this mask is ‘Moksha’.
Aggarwal has been associated with the design and construction of masks for the last two years. He started with a pollution mask. IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said that the battery-powered masks would first be trialed on some of the Olympic players. Each of these masks costs around Rs 2200.
If the players do not have any difficulty in breathing with this, then all the players and others participating in the Olympics will also use it after getting approval from the IOA Medical Commission. Mehta said, ‘I was very cautious about restoring the practice of players earlier but now that the players have started practicing and we do not know when this epidemic will end, we have to think about the best possible measures and we liked the idea of a mask that seems safe for rigorous practice. ‘
He said, ‘If the players feel comfortable in the trial, then we will initially order 1000 masks. We are hoping to give 10-15 players masks initially for the trial. We will start the trial within 10 days. The practice has started for most of the sports in the country but players have been asked to practice hard and avoid coronavirus infection. Mehta said that the IOA may recommend other countries to use these masks if the Indian project is successful.
Aggarwal claimed that the mask would serve two purposes. It will protect the players from the Covid-19 and they will also be able to practice harder by wearing it as it is designed in such a way that wearing it gives more oxygen to the body as compared to other masks.
He said, ‘There is no such mask in the world, wearing it will give better oxygen. It is safe for the players and they can wear them and do intensive exercises.’ These masks have to be kept in pouches when they are not used. Each mask will have valves to breathe on both sides with fans attached. However, there will be no sound from these wings.
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