Saina Nehwal Tests Positive For Coronavirus Before Warm Up Match

Jan 12, 2021, 15:49 IST

India's campaign at the Thailand Open ended after with star shuttler Saina Nehwal was forced out of the tournament following a positive COVID-19 test. However Saina, a London Olympics bronze-medallist, said she is yet to receive the results of her COVID test.

"I still didn't receive the covid test report from yesterday it's very confusing and today just before the warm up for the match they tell me to got to hospital in bangkok ... saying that I m positive ..according to rules the report should come in 5 hours.. @bwfmedia," Saina tweeted.

I still didn’t receive the covid test report from yesterday it’s very confusing and today just before the warm up for the match they tell me to got to hospital in bangkok ... saying that I m positive ..according to rules the report should come in 5 hours.. @bwfmedia https://t.co/ETkWiNVHnP

— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) January 12, 2021

Saina was scheduled to play Kisona Salvaduray of Malaysia, while Kashyap was supposed to face Canada's Jason Anthony Ho-Shue in the first round on Tuesday.

Her husband Parupalli Kashyap too was forced to withdraw "due to close proximity" with Saina. "After testing positive, both the players have been taken to the hospital to be isolated for a minimum period 10 days. While, Parupalli Kashyap has also withdrawn from the tournament and is quarantined in his hotel room due to close proximity with Nehwal," the Badminton Association of India said in a statement which had claimed that even Prannoy was out of contention. However, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said he will be retested after conflicting reports came out of earlier samples.

Saina and Prannoy had recovered from COVID-19 last month and along with the Indian team were looking to participate in the Asia leg events comprising the Thailand Open (January 12-17), TOYOTA Thailand Open (January 19-24) and the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2020 (January 27-31).

Watch Saina Nehwal get the COVID Test done for the third time.

3rd COVID test here in bangkok 😢😢... The tournament starts tomorrow 👍👍 #bangkok #Thailandopen #tournament #badminton pic.twitter.com/Lc5c7YZkQa

— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) January 11, 2021

Meanwhile World champion P V Sindhu suffered a defeat on her return to international badminton, losing in three games to Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt in the opening round of YONEX Thailand Open Super 1000 event here on Tuesday.Months after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the international calendar, Sindhu, seeded sixth, returned to action with a 21-16 24-26 13-21 defeat to world no 18 Blichfeldt in a 74-minute battle.

With this loss India's campaign in women's singles ended after Saina Nehwal was forced out after testing positive for COVID-19 on the eve of the tournament. (PTI inputs)