Shuttlers ‘have Covid’

FOUR of Indian top men’s badminton players, including former Commonwealth gold medallist Parupalli Kashyap, HS Prannoy and RMV Gurusaidutt, have tested positive for coronavirus but they are all “asymptomatic”.

Doubles specialist Pranaav Jerry Chopra is the fourth player to test positive. All are currently in self isolation.

“The players took the test as a precaution a few days back after one of them was showing very mild symptoms. Kashyap, Guru, Prannoy and Pranaav returned positive,” a source in the Gopichand academy sald on conditions of anonymity. “However Guru’s wife Amulya Gulapalli and Saina Nehwal have tested negative.”

Earlier, Lakshya Sen – along with Ajay Jayaram and Subhankar Dey – had pulled out of the SaarLorLux Open last month after his father and coach DK Sen tested positive for the virus after arriving in Germany for the tournament.

Doubles player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy had also tested positive for the virus in August but has returned to training.