On Tuesday, India's leading badminton pair, Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap, decided not to compete in the Denmark Open. This tournament in Odense was scheduled for October 13 and was meant to be the catalyst for restarting the international badminton circuit. The sport's global tour had been on hold since March, following the All England Championships, because of the pandemic.
India’s star badminton couple Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap on Tuesday decided to pull out of the Denmark Open. It was this tournament which was supposed to restart the international calendar for badminton at Odense from October 13. Earlier this March following the end of the All England Championships sighting the complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic BWF World Tour was suspended.
While talking to reporters, Saina explained that she has stepped away from the Denmark Open and intends to make her comeback in January during the Asian Tour.
The husband-and-wife team had originally planned to play in the $750,000 event and had even filed the necessary paperwork and consent letters with the BAI last month.
Due to the pandemic, the BWF has had to restructure the season, delaying the Thomas and Uber Cup finals and three Asian tournaments until 2021, while canceling the Denmark Masters altogether. Consequently, the Denmark Open became the only World Tour event left on the calendar for the rest of the season.
Saina, who has won two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, dismissed any rumors of fitness issues or injuries. She noted that while playing three consecutive tournaments might have caused physical strain, she feels it is better to simply start her season fresh at the Asian tour in January.
With the withdrawal of former world number one Saina—a key contender for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics—India will have no representatives in the women's singles category in Odense, as PV Sindhu had already opted out. Parupalli Kashyap, currently ranked 24th in the world, has also decided to skip the event for similar reasons.
The BWF's original revised plan was to host a concentrated block of events in Denmark, including the Thomas and Uber Cup, the Denmark Open, and the Denmark Masters, followed by a series of tournaments in Asia culminating in the World Tour Finals. However, as top-tier teams began withdrawing from the Thomas and Uber Cup due to COVID-19 concerns, the BWF postponed that championship to 2021 and scrapped the Denmark Masters.
Currently, the Indian contingent for the Denmark Open consists of Kidambi Srikanth, Ajay Jayaram, Lakshya Sen, and Subhankar Dey.