NEW DELHI (INDIA) – Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has been withdrawn from the Thailand Open after testing positive for COVID-19, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) said on Tuesday.
The BAI said men’s world number 28 HS Prannoy had also tested positive and has withdrawn.
However, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said they had got three of the four positive tests it received in a third round of testing re-tested and was later found to be negative.
The other two unnamed players are from Germany and Egypt, it added. Their re-test would be done along with Prannoy on Tuesday.
The Indian association added that Nehwal’s husband, Parupalli Kashyap, had also withdrawn from the tournament and is under quarantine in his hotel room.
The BAI said that they had come in contact with the BWF and that London Olympics bronze medallist Nehwal and Prannoy would also be under isolation in a Bangkok hospital for 10 days.
Nehwal said she was informed by tournament officials to visit the hospital few minutes before her first-round match against Malaysia’s Kisona Selvaduray, She said that she was unaware of having tested positive.
Nehwal told, “I did not give her a walkover. The BWF only told me to go to the hospital to get another test done. I have still not got the result of the test.”
The Indian team have been placed into a category as high risk by Thai health authorities and all players and staff are currently quarantining in their hotel rooms.
the BWF added, “Each individual is subject to daily testing until further notice from the Department of Disease Control, but players can continue to play upon producing a negative result.”
The Thailand Open is the first tournament of the Asian leg of the BWF World Tour.