BAI to take call on Jwala after studying court order

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) Thursday said it will take a decision whether to allow Jwala Gutta to play international tournaments only after going through the copy of the Delhi High Court judgment, which asked the association to let her play.

BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta Monday constituted an independent panel to look into its disciplinary committee's recommendation to ban Jwala for life for her role in an Indian Badminton League (IBL) tie in August. BAI also said Jwala will not be considered for selection for national or international badminton.

"We will take a decision after going through the copy of the judgment. It is inappropriate for me to comment without going through the judgment. We will respect the decision of the court but, I repeat, we will need to go through the judgment first," BAI general secretary Vijai Sinha told IANS.

The BAI Wednesday withdrew Jwala's entry from the Denmark Open Super Series Premier (Oct 15-20) where she was to resume her partnership with Ashwini Ponnappa, with whom she won the 2011 World Championship women's doubles bronze.

The question now is if Jwala is permitted to play, will the Badminton World Federation (BWF) accept her entry for Denmark Open after it was withdrawn.

The Delhi High Court earlier Thursday asked the BAI to allow the Commonwealth Games gold medallist to take part in tournaments till the independent three-member panel gives its decision in a month's time. Jwala moved the high court Wednesday against the BAI ban.

The BAI disciplinary committee recommended a life ban on Jwala for trying to stop her team, Krrish Delhi Smashers, from playing Banga Beats in the IBL in Bangalore Aug 25.

Delhi had threatened to pull out of the match over the last minute replacement of injured singles player Hu Yun of Hong Kong with Denmark's Jan O Jorgensen, a higher ranked shuttler.