Indian badminton players start training in Thailand after testing negative

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Indian badminton players, who will play three back-to-back tournaments here, started training on Wednesday after testing negative for Covid-19.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) earlier said that all 824 participants in the "Green Zone" have tested negative. The Green Zone consists of players and their entourage and all stakeholders who come into direct contact with them, such as umpires, line judges, personnel from BWF, Badminton Association of Thailand, medical staff, and TV production crew.

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) said in a tweet that Indian players were alloted gym timings of 2 pm to 3 pm local time (12.30 pm to 1.30 pm IST) and training timings of 7 pm to 8 pm (5.30 pm to 6.30 pm IST).

The BAI said that quarantine measures will be in place throughout the mandatory 14-day observation period including during the staging of the Thailand Open.

More routine COVID-19 tests will follow with strict safety protocols to remain in place until the end of the Asian Leg, which concludes with the completion of the BWF World Tour Finals.

Earlier, former world no.1 Saina Nehwal had asked the BWF to intervene, saying that physios and trainers cannot meet players during the entire tour even after everyone had tested negative. However, the rules that have been put in place by the BWF and BAT stated that it was only for the first three days that players could not meet their support staff until the start of the training period.

--IANS

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