Outrage over withdrawal

JAKARTA • Indonesia's forced withdrawal from the All England Open Championships over coronavirus fears prompted a diplomatic appeal yesterday as players were "in shock" and fans erupted online.

The Indonesian team were ruled out after a passenger on their flight to Britain tested positive for Covid-19, triggering a 10-day self-isolation period under British rules.

The All England, already missing leading sides China, South Korea and Chinese Taipei as it does not count towards Olympic qualification, is the biggest event before the Tokyo Games start in July.

Indonesian Badminton Association head Agung Firman Sampurna said "one way to prevent Indonesia from winning is keeping it from competing". "It made me feel like I was struck by lightning," he said of the withdrawal.

Indonesia's government has called on the national governing body to pursue the matter with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), and told its ambassador to Britain to petition for a reversal and "make sure there's no discrimination and unfair treatment".

"The Indonesian Ambassador to the UK has been in contact with his British counterpart in Jakarta... and has asked for his intervention," said a statement by London-based envoy Desra Percaya.

The start of the tournament was delayed on Wednesday after a number of positive and "inconclusive" Covid-19 test results. All were retested and proved negative, allowing the event to begin five hours late. But the Indonesians - including players who won their openers such as men's singles fifth seed Jonatan Christie and top-ranked men's doubles pair Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo - were forced out.

Gideon said the team were "in shock" and questioned why they were being penalised after taking precautions, including being vaccinated and tested before departure and upon arrival in Britain.

"The result were ALL TURNED NEGATIVE," he wrote on Instagram. "BWF should have enrolled a bubble system that guarantees our safety. Players should have undergone a quarantine before the event."

Social media users in Indonesia also vented their anger online, deluging the BWF's Instagram page.

Indonesia's Sports Minister Zainudin Amali said the team were being punished for something that is "not their fault", and raised concerns over rumours that an athlete from another country on the same flight was cleared to play.

"If that's true... it's unfair," he said, noting that Indonesia is a "significant power" in the sport.

The BWF said in a statement yesterday that the player on board with the Indonesian team, Neslihan Yigit of Turkey, was also withdrawn from the tournament.

The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on BWF events since the sport's return in January. At the Thailand Open, India's Saina Nehwal and H.S. Prannoy and German Jones Ralfy Jansen were initially withdrawn following positive Covid-19 results but were later cleared to play after returning positive antibody blood tests. But Egypt's Adham Hatem Elgamal, who had no antibodies, withdrew.

Athletes from other sports have also been forced to withdraw from competition due to Covid-related issues.

At tennis' US Open last year, women's doubles top seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Timea Babos were withdrawn ahead of their second-round match because the former came into contact with compatriot Benoit Paire, who tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the tournament.

In yesterday's round-of-16 action at the All England, world No. 1 Kento Momota of Japan beat Prannoy 21-15, 21-14, while defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark defeated Sai Praneeth of India 15-21, 21-12, 21-12.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

---

ALL ENGLAND OPEN