Badminton national camp kick-starts in Hyderabad ahead of Thomas and Uber Cup

Badminton, like other sports, has taken a huge blow due to the Covid-19 outbreak with players out of action for months. Even when restrictions were eased, many of the shuttlers were reluctant to travel owing to the spike in the number of Covid-19 cases. But, with everyone’s consent, the national camp for the players preparing for the Thomas and Uber Cup has started at the Gopi Chand Academy, in Hyderabad, this Monday.

A total of 26 players including Olympic Bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, along with his husband P. Kashyap, will be a part of the camp. Meanwhile, India’s top doubles pair of R. Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty, and other stars like Sameer Verma, Sourabh Verma, and H.S Pronnoy won’t be a part of the three-week camp, as they have tested positive for Covid-19.

Furthermore, P.V. Sindhu, India’s top-ranked player, has already opted out of the Uber Cup due to personal reasons. She hasn’t, however, given any information regarding her availability for the Denmark Open 1 and the Denmark Masters, both of which are scheduled for October, even though she has sent entries for both the events.