New Delhi: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Thursday said that the India Open tournament has been rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic, with seven Indian players pulling out of the event after testing positive for the deadly virus.
“The close contact of seven players by the doubles partners has also been withdrawn from the tournament after the players tested positive in a mandatory RT-PCR test conducted on Tuesday,” it said in a statement.
“Players will not be transferred to the main draw and their opponents will be given a walkover in the next round,” it said. The BWF announced the news early Thursday, but did not reveal the names of the seven players.
2019 World Championships bronze medalist B Sai Praneeth, double specialists Manu Attri and Dhruv Rawat had tested positive for the virus before their departure for the national capital and were ruled out before the start of the tournament.
The entire England badminton contingent also withdrew ahead of the Super 500 event after the country’s doubles specialist Sean Wendy and coach Nathan Robertson tested positive for the virus.
Organized by the Badminton Association of India, the 2022 edition of the India Open is being held behind closed doors at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall of the Indira Gandhi Stadium.
As per the COVID-19 protocol, all the participating players are being tested daily outside the hotel and stadium.
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, World Championships silver and bronze medalists Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen, London Games bronze winner Saina Nehwal are among the Indian players who have reached the second round of the tournament.
Among the top international stars, world champion Loh Keen Yew, three-time men’s doubles world champion Mohamed Ahsan and Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan are competing in the tournament, held for the first time in three years after the last two editions were canceled due to the pandemic. being done.
Delhi recorded 27,561 COVID-19 cases, the second-highest single-day increase since the pandemic began, and 40 deaths on Wednesday.
first published:Jan. 13, 2022, 9:08 a.m.
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