New Delhi, (Asian independent) Star badminton players Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap have withdrawn from the Denmark Open. The Super 750 tournament, which is expected to signal the restart of the sport’s international calendar, is set to played from October 13 to 18 in Odense.
“Yes, we have pulled out of the tournament,” Kashyap, husband of Saina, told IANS. Saina pulling out of the tournament means that there would be no Indian participation in the women’s singles event, as reigning world champion PV Sindhu had pulled out in September.
The Indian squad for the Denmark Open now comprises former world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen, Ajay Jayaram, and Shubhankar Dey.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) had earlier intended the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup team events to mark the restart of the badminton calendar, but the tournaments were cancelled after several countries pulled out due to safety concerns arising out of the Covid pandemic. The BWF also cancelled the Denmark Masters, which was set to start two days after the end of the Denmark Open.