After defending champion Lakshya Sen pulled out of the SaarLorLux Open Super 100 badminton tournament on Wednesday after his father-cum-coach DK Sen tested positive for coronavirus, compatriots Ajay Jayaram and Subhankar Dey have also withdrawn as a precautionary measure.
“BWF can confirm three players have been withdrawn from the SaarLorLux Open 2020 as a precautionary measure for all participants after they were in contact with a member of their team entourage who tested positive for Covid-19,” the Badminton World Federation said in a statement.
All three Indian players and the team entourage have been placed into isolation in line with directives from tournament organisers, local health authorities and BWF tournament health protocols,” it added,
As things stand, all three players have returned negative Covid-19 results but have been in contact with DK Sen.
The 19-year-old Lakshya Sen was aiming to recover from an early exit in Denmark Open recently but had to end his campaign in Saarbrucken, Germany early. DK Sen had gone for the mandatory Covid-19 test on Monday and the result was positive. He said he is asymptomatic.
“I am the defending champion of this event and I am very disappointed and sad with this development,” the Indian player wrote in his letter to the organising secretary according to PTI.
“Under the circumstances, I do not want to jeopardise the safety of other players and hamper the functioning of the tournament.”