- Thursday, December 01, 2022
By: Sattwik Biswal
THE All England Championships will now have a depleted field after the Indonesian badminton team was forced to withdraw from the tournament after an unnamed passenger in their flight tested positive for Covid-19.
Earlier, Chinese, Koreans and Chinese Taipei shuttlers had decided not to participate in the tournament.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) said that results of the matches that have already taken place will stand and “the draw will remain unchanged.”
“A number of players and team members from the Indonesian team have been contacted by the UK Government’s National Health Service (NHS) Test and Trace service and are required to self-isolate with immediate effect,” BWF said in a statement.
“In accordance with UK Government requirements, the entire team will self-isolate for 10 days from the date of their inbound flight after a person travelling onboard tested positive for Covid-19.”
Doubles world No. 1 and Indonesian shuttler Marcus Fernaldi Gideon slammed BWF for the mismanagement and said the team is in shock.
“Tonight we’re in shock to hear the news that we (Indonesian players and officials) have to withdrawn from all england due to an anonymous passenger tested + for covid that board the same flight as we did,” Gideon wrote on Instagram.
“It have to be taken to notice that BWF has failed to organise this matter. Before the flight, all of the Indonesia team have been tested negative & we were also been re-tested by the time we reached the hotel,” he said.
“Some of you may notice that the game today was delayed prior to 7 positive cases they found in other team members (other country). After they have been retested, the result were ALL TURNED NEGATIVE. So why don’t we also have the same justice here?” he questioned.
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