Sindhu changes mind on BAI request, to play Uber Cup in Denmark

NEW DELHI: India’s Uber Cup hopes received a big boost on Monday after world champion PV Sindhu agreed to play in the world team championships for women, having pulled out of the biennial event five days earlier citing “personal reasons”.

Sindhu changed her mind after a call from Badminton Association of India (BAI) president Himanta Biswa Sarma requesting that she reconsider the decision. “The president has advised me to play and I have reworked my personal commitments. I stand by the president and BAI’s advice to play the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals,” Sindhu said from Hyderabad.

The 25-year-old’s presence means India will send its strongest squad for the Uber Cup, to be held with the Thomas Cup men’s competition, in Aarhus, Denmark, from October 3 to 11.The men’s team though has been weakened. The world No.10 doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy pulled out as the latter is Covid-19 positive. “I had to get re-tested on Monday but that will now happen tomorrow as there was no availability,” Rankireddy said. A further blow was dealt when singles players HS Prannoy, Sameer Verma and Sourabh Verma turned down BAI’s request to play, raising concerns over the pandemic. “My family is not keen on sending me under the current circumstances,” Prannoy said.

The full-fledged national camp for the Thomas and Uber Cup did not start in Hyderabad on Monday as scheduled due to confusion between the authorities and players. Sports Authority of India (SAI) is yet to put in place the elaborate protocols for the camp as it could not arrive at a conclusion with BAI on the length of the quarantine period.

According to SAI, players will have to produce a Covid-19 negative certificate (RT-PCR test) before they are allowed into the Pullela Gopichand academy (camp venue). They will have to then be in quarantine and take another test on the sixth day. They will be allowed to train only after clearing the second test. “We have to send the team list to BWF by September 18. We need some time (before that) to assess fitness as the players are coming back from lockdown and haven’t played matches,” said a BAI official. Asian contenders Thailand pulled out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining Australia and Chinese Taipei.