Hyderabad, August 09: England team Sunday withdrew from the World Badminton Championships, beginning here Monday, over reports of a specific Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist threat.
Badminton England said they were not prepared to take such a risk to the safety of their players.
“This was an incredibly tough decision and one we didn’t take lightly. After the Olympic Games, this is the most prestigious championships in the world, but we were not prepared to risk the safety of our players, coaches and staff in what we felt could have been a very volatile environment,” Adrian Christy, chief executive, said on Badminton England website.
“We are extremely grateful for the speed in which the BWF (Badminton World Federation) and the Organising Committee reacted to the concerns following the threat. We have carefully considered the comments made by the local police authorities and we know that they have the best interest of all competitors in mind,” he added.
Christy said the organisation reached the decision after advice from the Foreign Office and British high commission.
“We have also listened to the advice from the Foreign Office and British high commission. We have been in constant dialogue with them over the past couple of days.”
“The conclusion is that safety is of paramount importance and therefore, with great regret, the team will be returning home immediately,” he said.
India’s No.1 women player Saina Nehwal called England’s pullout “unfortunate”.
“The tournament will not be affected by any terror perception. It is unfortunate that England team has decided to go back. They have not been seen practicing,” Sania said.
A top Indian badminton official claimed that some of the English players had already left in the morning and others will leave by Sunday night.
Ian Moss, England Performance Director, said: “It is a disappointing outcome, especially after we had enjoyed a very good preparation at our holding camp in Doha, Qatar, last week.”
“Our athletes were extremely well prepared for these Championships but, at the end of the day, personal safety must take priority over performance,” he said.
“This was a unanimous squad decision and is not reflective of the efforts made by the Organising Committee to create the safest environment possible for all athletes.”
England’s decision to pull out comes despite Home minister P. Chidambaram’s assurance that the tournament would take place “in complete security”.
“I am satisfied that the World Badminton Championship will take place in complete security. No one need to have any apprehensions on this score,” Chidambaram said in a statement Saturday.
“The alert in Hyderabad was based on information shared with the state police in a routine manner. There is no specific information that points to any imminent threat to the badminton championship.”
The home minister pointed out that the state police had taken all measures necessary to fully secure the tournament and ensure the safety of every player.
Officials of the Intelligence Bureau had visited the stadium as well as the badminton academy being run by player-turned-coach Pullela Gopichand to take stock of the situation and alert the organisers over the possible threat from the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Over 250 policemen have been deployed at the stadium, the Gopichand Academy, where the players are practicing and at four different hotels where the players and officials are staying.
The England squad:
Singles: Andrew Smith, Rajiv Ouseph
Doubles: Anthony Clark, Nathan Robertson, Chris Adcock, Donna Kellogg, Gabby White and Jenny Wallwork.
–IANS