Stranded Indian shuttlers return from Germany after testing negative for Covid-19

Forced to tug out of the SaarLorLux Open in Germany and keep in quarantine there due to COVID-19 fears, an Indian badminton contingent, together with defending champion Lakshya Sen, on Tuesday returned to the nation after testing adverse for the an infection.

Lakshya’s desires of defending the title had come crashing down when he needed to withdraw from the event after his father-cum-coach D Okay Sen examined COVID-19 positive. He, nevertheless, had no signs.

Two different Indian shuttlers — former world quantity 13 Ajay Jayaram and 2018 winner Subhankar Dey, who had organized funds to take part within the German tourney after the Denmark Open, additionally needed to withdraw owing to contact with senior Sen.

Lakshya, Jayaram, Dey and physio Abhishek Wagh had examined adverse forward of the event.

The Indian contingent, nevertheless, needed to spend 5 days in quarantine earlier than contemporary test outcomes discovered them to be adverse, clearing their return to the nation following the ordeal.

“We reached Bangalore at home this morning around 5am. We all are fine and healthy,” a relieved DK Sen informed PTI.

“We were in quarantine since my first Test came positive. The German official did the second COVID Test for all five of us on November 1 and thankfully the reports came negative, so we immediately returned home.” While Lakshya, his father and physio reached Bangalore, Dey and Jayaram took a flight from Frankfurt to Delhi.

Lakshya, who claimed 5 titles within the senior circuit final yr together with two BWF World Tour Super 100 prime honours — SaarLorLux Open and Dutch Open — had acquired a bye within the opening spherical of the occasion together with Dey.

Jayaram, alternatively, had gained his opening-round conflict however the COVID issues introduced an unlucky finish to India’s marketing campaign on the event.

“… This situation prevented the players from competing in the event and local authorities putting them in isolation,” the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), the place Lakshya is a daily, mentioned in a press release.

“The timely intervention of Badminton Association of India (BAI), German Badminton Association and Badminton World Federation (BWF) ensured that after 5 days of isolation, all of them were again put through a COVID test on Sunday which turned out negative.

“This helped the players, coach and physio to return back to India. Earlier the local authorities in Saarbrucken insisted on all the players and support staff to remain in isolation till the 10th of November 2020.”

BAI additionally thanked the assorted authorities for extending their assist to the Indian contingent and knowledgeable that “the Indian shuttlers and support staff will be on a seven days home quarantine now.” With no occasions lined up until January, Lakshya will now return to Almora for just a few days.

Earlier, Jayaram had requested for assist from sports activities minister Kiren Rijiju, the nationwide badminton federation and BWF, saying that the organisers had not given them any data or help other than asking them to isolate. Dey too had demanded compensation for the ordeal in his social media submit.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) was fast to guarantee that it’s going to pay for the bills to be incurred by the 2 gamers “for the length of their quarantine in Germany from October 30 to November 10, on humanitarian grounds.” The world calendar has been severely curtailed this yr due to the pandemic and after a seven-month shutdown, it restarted with the Denmark Open earlier this month.

The subsequent event would be the Asia leg and World Tour Final in January subsequent yr.