Malaysia placing a short lived ban on flights from India could show to be the demise knell for Kidambi Srikanth and Saina Nehwal’s hopes of qualifying for this yr’s Tokyo Olympics.
The travel ban, which has been carried out in response to the worsening COVID-19 scenario in India, has put doubts over whether or not the Indian contingent will be capable of participate within the Malaysian Open, which will probably be held from May 25 to 30.
The event is the final main occasion within the Olympic qualification calendar which signifies that not having the ability to take part would show to be the top of any probabilities that Srikanth or Saina have of constructing into the highest 16 of the boys’s and ladies’s Race to Tokyo rankings respectively. Srikanth is at the moment twentieth on the standings whereas Saina is twenty second.
The Badminton World Federation, Badminton Association of Malaysia or the Badminton Association of India are but to touch upon to what extent the travel ban will have an effect on the possibilities of Indians collaborating within the event.
Reigning world champion PV Sindhu, 2019 World Championships bronze medallist B Sai Praneeth and males’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have the rating that can earn them qualification to the Tokyo Olympics.
Indians aspiring to qualify for the Games have been earlier delivered a blow when the Indian Open, which was scheduled to be held in New Delhi from May 11 to 16, was postponed due to the surge in COVID-19 instances. New dates for the event are but to be introduced however it should not be an Olympic qualifier.
