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An Indian woman shuttler had to withdraw from the Orleans Masters on Tuesday after she came in contact with a team entourage member who tested positive for COVID-19.
In an official statement, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) informed that a total of three players have been withdrawn from the tournament.
The Orleans Masters saw several changes in fixtures amid rising positive cases among the players.
All players who tested positive for the coronavirus have been instructed to remain in self-isolation in their hotel rooms. However, the players' names were not disclosed.
"An Indonesian women's doubles pair has been withdrawn after one player tested positive to the mandatory PCR test conducted on Monday. An Indian women's singles player has been withdrawn after a team entourage member tested positive to the mandatory PCR test. The singles player was identified as a close contact of the entourage member and as a result, the player has been withdrawn from the tournament," the BWF said.
India makes a resounding start to its Orleans Masters campaign
Day 1 of the Orleans Masters 2021 was highly successful for the Indian badminton players. Out of the five matches involving six different Indian players on the day, three turned out as winning results.
The Orleans Masters 2021 is one of the most significant tournaments to determine qualification for the Olympics, which is scheduled to start in July this year. The Swiss Open 2021 was the first BWF World Tour event of the year to offer valuable ranking points for Olympic qualification.
After a dismal campaign at the recently-concluded All England Open 2021, India's top shuttlers will hope to give a better account of themselves in France.
Former World No.1 Saina Nehwal is the lone Indian to have received direct entry into the women's singles draw at the Super 100 tournament. All three top Indian men's singles shuttlers - Kidambi Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap, and H S Prannoy - received byes in the first round.
Also Read: Orleans Masters 2021: Indian shuttlers Ajay Jayaram, Subhankar Dey to open campaign on Day 1
