This decision comes after India allowed some sports facilities to open again, but pools remain closed - leading freestyle swimmer Virdhawal Khade to announce in June that he was considering retirement due to limitations on his preparation for the Games.

But now Khade has been thrown a lifeline by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which has stated that Khade, 100-metre backstroke specialist Srihari Nataraj and 400m freestyle swimmer Kushagra Rawat will all train at Dubai's Aqua Nation Swimming Academy from the first week of September, according to Reuters.

Six Indian swimmers had achieved the B qualification times for the Games before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a suspension of their preparations in March.

Khade, Nataraj and Rawat have all posted a B time, which is good enough to see you compete at the Olympics but not the A standard which would guarantee India a place.

A statement by SAI read: "This decision was taken... as swimming pools in India are not yet accessible as a safety measure due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Other B qualifiers are Sajan Prakash in the 200m butterfly, who will not attend as he is currently based in Thailand, while 800m freestyle duo Aryan Makhija and Advait Bage began practicing in the United States earlier this month.

"The Dubai camp is for Olympic B qualifiers who are in India and currently unable to train," said Swimming Federation of India secretary general Monal Chokshi said.

"It will be a 60-day camp in Dubai, but if pools in India don't open in 60 days, SAI might extend it."

Chokshi also expressed sympathy for swimmers just outside the B standard who could not travel with the trio, saying it was "not feasible" to take a large group to the United Arab Emirates at present.