CHENNAI: Coronavirus fears have led to a few of India's leading badminton players deciding to leave the Gopichand academy in Hyderabad for the time being. The spread of the virus has hit a number of sporting events around the world but this is the first major instance of the threat leading to players leaving an academy en masse.
The development happened on a day when as many as seven Indian players -- Sameer Verma, Sourabh Verma, Manu Attri, Sumeeth Reddy, Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and HS Prannoy -- decided against travelling to the All England Open scheduled to be held next week.
However, both PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, according to those in the know, will travel. It remains to be seen if India's South Korean foreign coach, Park Tae Sang, will accompany the team. There is apprehension that he might not be allowed back in India as visas for South Koreans have been suspended.
The likes of Shetty, Prannoy and Rankireddy have, in fact, decided to stop all training for now. Gopichand's academy is near the IT corridor in Hyderabad and the players are not taking any chances after a techie from the city tested positive.
Shetty, one of the players who is leaving the academy, explained his decision. "Most of the players who are not travelling to All England and are not from the city have decided to go back home for at least a week. They (the academy) have left the decision to us, they said 'it's okay' if we leave and they completely understood our concerns," he said.
However, for doubles specialist, N Sikki Reddy the story is different. "Most of the juniors have already left the academy to be with their families as there are no upcoming junior events," she told The New Indian Express.
Reddy, who trained at the academy on Thursday, is not going back home. But she may yet decide against travelling to the All England Open, a World Tour 1000 event and considered to be Badminton's Wimbledon.
"A few of the players are not travelling but, as it stands, I am going. I will take a final call tomorrow (Friday) evening. My big problem is what if I develop symptoms... I may be isolated there for 14 days or something like that with nobody (I know) around me," she said.
One player who will continue to play at the academy is B Sumeeth Reddy, even though his partner (Manu Attri) and he have pulled out of next week's event. "Personally, I don't have a problem even though the people (in the academy) have told us they will be fine with us going home,” he said.
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