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KUALA LUMPUR: Indonesia is the latest country to withdraw from the 2020 Thomas Cup and Uber Finals, scheduled to take place in Aarhus, Denmark, from October 3-11.
The Secretary General of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI), Achmad Budiharto, cited three reasons why the team made the decision, including players’ concerns about the risk of Covid-19 infection when traveling, in transit or at the tournament venue.
He said players and officials were also concerned that the Badminton World Federation (BWF) could not guarantee that they would not be affected by the virus.
“We have sent a letter to the Minister of Youth and Sports and will soon write to the BWF to notify them of the matter. The decision was made after discussion with the players and team officials, ”he said in a statement posted on the PBSI website.
Achmad also confirmed that Indonesian players will not participate in the Denmark Open I and Denmark Open II tournaments on October 13-18 and October 20-25, respectively.
In addition to Indonesia, four other teams (Australia, Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea) have announced their withdrawal from the prestigious men’s and women’s team competitions due to concerns about Covid-19.
Malaysia drew in Group A with traditional rivals and 13-time champions Indonesia, the Netherlands and England in the Thomas Cup tournament.
The women’s national squad will face a much more daunting task as they were selected in Pool B, alongside South Korea, Indonesia and Australia.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said yesterday that although the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) was ready for the match, the ministry preferred to wait for confirmation from the other competing nations as well.
