National camp for Thomas and Uber Cup Final cancelled

The national badminton camp in Hyderabad for next month's Thomas and Uber Cup Final was on Thursday scrapped after it became clear that players would not get any relaxation on the mandatory seven-day quarantine period.

The camp was originally scheduled to start on September 7 and conclude on September 27 for the event set for October 3 to 11 in Aarhus, Denmark. It was proposed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) at the SAI Pullela Gopichand Academy.

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, SAI wanted all the 26 players to be in quarantine for at least a week before training, an idea which was rejected by the players and Badminton Association of India (BAI).

"SAI had made it clear that it can't make any concession on the quarantine protocols and left it to BAI to decide on the camp. So after deliberation, it was decided today that it will be difficult for players to follow it," Vimal Kumar, one of the six selectors, told PTI.

"So players will have to practice and continue in their respective centres and report to Hyderabad before departure for the event."

Badminton Association of India (BAI) also later announced the cancellation of the camp.

"After a lot of deliberations and multi-label meetings with all stakeholders including Sports Authority of India, we have decided to cancel the camp," BAI general secretary Ajay Singhania said.

"With the SOP implemented and quarantine procedures followed, there will not be enough time to conduct a camp and hence it was a decision taken in consultation with the five selectors and the National Coach."

The governing body asked the selected players to keep training on their own and submit fitness certificate by September 17.

With the camp cancelled, BAI also announced the men's and women's team for the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals.

Vimal, a former India chief coach, admitted that it was tough to select a team without a camp or trial.

"It is a little tough of course, but most of the players have been training and playing where they are, but yes, real assessment will be difficult under the circumstances."

SAI wanted players to stay and train at the Gopichand academy to ensure greater health safety amid the raging pandemic.

However, top players, who are mostly from Hyderabad, were against the idea and voiced their reluctance to SAI in a video conference.

SAI said it had discussed the detailed SOP for the campers along with quarantine norms with all stakeholders and it was accepted by all but "owing to unwillingness of some campers to undergo the quarantine period, the camp could not begin."

Col. Dr Bibhu Kalyan Nayak, member of the committee which drafted Covid protocols for SAI, stressed that the quarantine protocol are for the safety of the players.

"All actions, decisions and policies being drawn out during the pandemic are guided by the principle of ensuring safety of players. To minimise the risk of transmission of the virus, especially where players are coming from different places and have been training at different locations, it is important to ensure that everyone is quarantined and a test is conducted thereafter," he said.

"In these times ensuring safety and minimising risks at camps have to be based on the dual philosophy of self-protection by maintaining all protocols and solidarity to ensure others around are also safe, which is very important in team games."

Many players have already reached Hyderabad for the camp, while several outstation shuttlers like Malvika Bansod and Ashmita Chaliha were asked to wait by BAI.

"Those who have already reached can train at the Gopichand Academy, while the camp for the Olympic hopeful will continue," a BAI source said.

In another development, world bronze-winner B Sai Praneeth has pulled out of the Thomas Cup and the two Super 750 events in Denmark due to pain in his right knee.

"I had this pain in my right knee since resuming training last month. I had to take a break for a few days but the pain came back to affect my training," Praneeth said.

"So, I consulted a doctor and he told me to not go all out in training for at least 10 days. So, I have no option but to pull out. It is unfortunate but I have to take care of my health now ahead of the (Olympic) qualifiers."