Badminton camp in muddle

The training camp doubles up as selection trials for Thomas and Uber Cup to be held in Denmark next month.
Indian badminton star PV Sindhu (Photo | AP)
Indian badminton star PV Sindhu (Photo | AP)

In these days of COVID-19 nothing can be considered certain. There’s always that feeling of anxiety and uncertainty. No matter what the event is or where it will be held. Unless held, nothing is for sure. That perhaps aptly describes the state of the national camp for shuttlers that was supposed to begin on Monday.

It is learnt that the camp to be held at the SAI-Gopichand Badminton Academy is yet to begin. The training camp also doubles up as selection trials for Thomas and Uber Cup to be held in Denmark next month. 

Apparently, the reason for this delay is because of confusion over quarantine protocols as directed by Sports Authority of India’s SOP, which mandates athletes coming to join the camp spend time in quarantine.

According to a SAI release, “all players, coaches and support staff will have to undergo mandatory RT-PCR test for COVID-19 before they travel to Hyderabad and would only be allowed in the academy, once they produce COVID-19 negative certificates. Once they are at the academy they will be isolated and tested again on the 6th day of the quarantine and would only be allowed on the field of play after they have cleared the second round of COVID-19 test.” 

This means the players will have to spend eight-ten days in quarantine. This caused consternation among badminton officials who immediately asked players to not risk travel until this issue is sorted. On short notice, the camp was called. In a shorter time frame players were asked to stay put. But that did not prevent four shuttlers to reach the centre. 

According to BAI officials, a meeting has been slated for Tuesday wherein all stakeholders will discuss issues related to the camp and selection. If officials are to be believed, the camp was called after a few meetings between SAI and BAI. How the quarantine rule got lost, no one seems to have an idea. 

The way things stand the intriguing part seems to be selections. If the players spend eight-ten days in quarantine as per rule, then there will hardly be any time for conducting trials on September 17, as BAI wanted, and that would render the training camp redundant.

Last date for submission of names to Badminton World Federation (BWF) is on September 18. And if it is a preparatory camp then there was no need to call so many shuttlers because only 20 (10 each in men’s and women’s) are allowed in a team.

Officials are also worried about the selection process. There were no events for more than five months. If they do resort to selection on the basis of ranking because of the quarantine rules (which everyone must follow), then the camp could have been for selected players. Players from Hyderabad, including PV Sindhu and outstation player Kidambi Srikanth have already started training since early last month. 

The players are expected to leave for Denmark on September 27 and will undergo mandatory tests on arrival before quarantining themselves for two days in the hotel. But the first task is to get the camp up and running.

Sindhu makes u-turn, set to join team for prestigious tournament

In a big boost for India, world champ PV Sindhu has made a u-turn on her decision on not being available for the Thomas & Uber Cup. Sindhu had a change of heart after Himanta Biswa Sarma, BAI president, requested her to join the team.

“I have requested @Pvsindhu1 to join the team as we have a favourable draw and have the best chance to take a shot at a medal at the #ThomasUberCup. She has agreed and will prepone her family function so that she can be part of the Indian Team and play for the country @BAI_Media,” Sarma wrote on Twitter. Sindhu had earlier said that she won’t be able to travel because of family commitments next month.

The Thomas & Uber Cup is scheduled to be held in Denmark from October 3 to 11.  The women’s team has been clubbed with 14-time winners China, France and Germany while the men’s side has been placed alongside Denmark, Germany and Algeria in the draw.

Thailand pull out

Thailand’s men’s and women’s teams have pulled out of the Thomas and Uber Cup. According to the BWF, the Thailand association cited Covid-19 concerns and injuries to some of its key players for reasons behind the move. 

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