Doubles shuttler Manu Attri pulls out of India Open

Indian badminton doubles ace Manu Attri has withdrawn from the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022, scheduled to begin on January 11.

Attri was doubtful for the tournament after testing positive in Hyderabad. He was waiting for a further test on Monday to see if he could join the field in New Delhi.

Although Attri's latest test results aren't yet known, his last-minute withdrawal from the men's doubles section with Sumeeth Reddy hints at yet another positive report.

Reddy, however, will still be vying for the title in the mixed doubles category, alongside Ashwini Ponnappa. The pair will meet second seeds Rodion Alimov and Alina Davletova in the opening round.

Read: "I am very disappointed as I have prepared well for India Open" - Sai Praneeth on pulling out after testing positive for COVID-19

India Open sees more withdrawals

The BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament has already seen a slew of withdrawals due to COVID-19 and injuries.

On Sunday, India's B Sai Praneeth and Dhruv Rawat withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19.

The entire England team pulled out of the tournament after their doubles specialist, Sean Vendy, and coach Nathan Robertson tested positive for COVID-19 during a pre-departure test.

Former Commonwealth Games champion shuttler Parupalli Kashyap said a few days earlier that he was injured and would not participate in the tournament.

Monday also saw some players pull out. Men's singles fourth seed Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand, women's singles eighth seed Fitriani Fitriani and women’s doubles top seeds Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Projongjai of Thailand withdrew.

However, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) said there is no imminent threat to the tournament and it will continue as per schedule. The organizers also confirmed that all the players are undergoing regular COVID-19 tests.

The event will be held at the iconic Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi behind closed doors with no fans or media allowed.