Tokyo, July 21 (IANS) The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) said on Wednesday that Pavel Sirucek from the Czech Republic had tested positive for COVID-19 and become the first table tennis player to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics.

"Today, we were informed that Pavel Sirucek has tested positive for COVID-19 and is placed in isolation," read an ITTF statement.

The news was released ahead of the draws for the Olympic competitions, which were made in the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

"Pavel (Sirucek) will be marked as Did Not Start (DNS) in the table tennis competition, in accordance with the Tokyo 2020 Sport-Specific Regulations. We wish him a speedy recovery," added the statement.

The 28-year-old men's team player, ranked 52nd in the latest world rankings, had qualified for the singles competition through the European qualification.

--IANS

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