PETALING JAYA: With just two weeks to go, the much-anticipated resumption of the World Tour in Bangkok has been dealt a massive blow.The unprecedented three-tournament series which comprise back-to-back Thailand Opens from Jan 12-17, Jan 19-24 and the World Tour Finals from Jan 27-31 will lose some of its sparkle with China pulling out all their top players.
The Chinese Badminton Association (CBA) have withdrawn their team after failing to get clearance to leave the country from their government due to emerging new Covid-19 strain worldwide.Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) president Patama Leeswadtrakul said they understood China’s predicament.
Thailand pledges ‘world’s safest’ badminton as China pull out
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next month’s restart tournaments will be the “safest in the world” on
Wednesday after heavyweights China withdrew because of coronavirus
restrictions.
events from January 12 in Bangkok, the first in Asia since Covid-19 shut down
the sport in March.
China’s anti-coronavirus rules prevented the team, which includes men’s
Olympic champion Chen Long and women’s world number two Chen Yufei, from
travelling.
the country not just for the sport of badminton but for all kinds of
athletes,” Patama told AFP.
behind closed doors, culminate in the delayed 2020 World Tour Finals from
PV Sindhu confident of playing in Thailand despite UK lockdown
PV Sindhu in action at the 2016 Olympics.
BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images
PV Sindhu says she will go ahead with her plans to play in the Thailand events next month, flying via Qatar to avoid travel bans on flights out of UK. The reigning world champion, who s been in England since October, says she is looking to arrive in Bangkok in the first week of January. It s going to be tough for sure.but I will be flying through Doha so it is not an issue currently. I will not be skipping any tournaments, she told ESPN.