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Kento Momota and several Indonesian players have pulled out of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships 2021 on Wednesday. The prestigious biennial tournament will be held from December 12 to 19 in Huelva, Spain.
Defending champion Momota of Japan also withdrew from last week’s BWF World Tour Finals 2021 with a back issue and has returned to Japan.
World No. 2 Momota had been dominating the post-pandemic BWF international season with several titles under his kitty. However, southpaw Momota suffered an injury after the Indonesian Masters tournament a couple of weeks ago which forced him to pull out of the BWF World Tour Finals.
The majority of Indonesian players have withdrawn because of the new Covid variant: BWF
In a major setback to the World Championships, the BWF also confirmed the withdrawal of a large contingent of Indonesian players. The apex body said the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) made the announcement on Wednesday morning expressing concerns linked to the COVID-19 situation.
“A small number of Indonesian players remain in the draw. BWF is disappointed with the decision by PBSI and regrets that the withdrawal took place after the draw,” BWF said in a statement on Wednesday.
Despite the withdrawal of Momota and several Indonesian players, the BWF is optimistic about the success of the World Championships.
“BWF and the Spanish Badminton Federation and the BWF are now focused on delivering a safe and successful World Championships. It will be held in line with the advice and measures put in place by the local and national health authorities. A comprehensive set of safety protocols for all players, team officials and key stakeholders will be involved,” BWF statement added.
Seventh seeds Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying on Monday announced their split as a pair after 13 years. The Malaysian pair have withdrawn from the World Championships.
The BWF said a majority of players have now arrived safely in Huelva and entered the tournament bubble. The first round of matches will start at 10 am local time on Sunday.
India's participation has been confirmed with defending champion PV Sindhu having flown in directly from Bali for the event. Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and others have already reached Huelva.
Indonesian badminton association says players’ health is paramount
The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) said they kept the safety of the players as a priority and decided to withdraw from the forthcoming World Championships.
“We don’t want to take any risks. Athletes’ safety and health are paramount. We have also discussed with the players and they agreed to withdraw from the World Championships,” said PBSI development and performance division head Rionny Mainaky.
The government of the Republic of Indonesia also asked the players and its citizens to avoid travel during this period.
The tournament will lose a lot of sheen with the withdrawal of the Indonesian team. Three of the top six seeds in the men’s doubles are Indonesian players. In the men’s singles, fifth seeded Anthony Ginting and seventh-seeded Jonatan Christie will also be missing in action in Huelva.
