National banners hang from balconies at an athlete's village as Tokyo prepares for the 2020 Summer Olympics, on July 17, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Tokyo Olympic Games organizing committee said Monday it has identified 21 people as close contacts of the three South African men's soccer team members who tested positive for the coronavirus at the athletes' village.

       The three -- players James Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi, as well as a video analyst -- are the first confirmed cases among Olympic teams at the village in Tokyo's waterfront area.

       South Africa are set to face hosts Japan on Thursday, when the men's Olympic soccer tournament starts on the eve of the opening ceremony.

       According to the organizers, all of the close contacts are also part of the South African soccer team. With most believed to be players rather than staff, the situation raises concerns about the impact on the opening game and the rest of the tournament.

       It will also further stoke worries about the anti-virus measures being taken ahead of the games.

       The infected players, along with potential close contacts, have been isolating in their rooms and have not taken part in practice.

       According to the Olympic playbook which sets out coronavirus safety rules, close contacts may only compete after returning negative daily PCR tests, undergoing health examination by experts and getting approval from the governing body of their sport.

       The government and the organizing committee have decided to allow participation if a PCR test comes back negative six hours before the start of competition.

       South Africa's men's rugby sevens coach Neil Powell, meanwhile, will take charge of his team remotely from the southwestern city of Kagoshima during their July 26-28 Olympic campaign, after testing positive for the virus on Saturday, the South African Rugby Union said.

       The coach, who tested positive following the team's arrival for a weeklong training camp, will remain in a quarantine facility for 14 days, with his on-field coaching responsibilities to be taken over by assistant coach Renfred Dazel.

       Kagoshima city officials said Sunday they had confirmed negative test results for the other 19 players and staff in the South African squad, who took bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

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