All England Open: Saina Nehwal, other Indians eligible to play after HUGE COVID-19 fiasco

The start of the All England Open 2021 was delayed by five hours following a "significant number" of inconclusive COVID-19 test results. Among the results of the tests conducted, three Indian shuttlers tested positive, putting Team India's plans for the tournament in complete disarray. One member of the support staff also tested positive from the Indian contingent, leaving players without much practice. 

All England Open live: India's coach Mathais Boe slams organisers after Indian shuttlers test positive  

Team India's Danish foreign coach Mathais Boe had slammed the All England Open organisers after the tournament was delayed due to inconclusive COVID-19 tests, with three Indian shuttlers testing positive for the virus. Speaking to sport.tv2.dk, Boe revealed, "We have three players and one member from the support staff who have tested positive. I find it completely absurd how this can happen, since we have been isolated in Zurich since the Swiss Open started two weeks ago". The 40-year-old further said that the entire Indian contingent had been tested five times in 14 days and all tests have been negative. Boe quizzed, "We have only gotten along with each other, so how can they suddenly test positive?". 

However, recent reports suggest that amid a further investigation, the shuttlers in question have tested negative for COVID-19 and will be competing in the delayed Day 1 on Wednesday. Besides Team India's badminton couple Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap, HS Prannoy, Sameer Verma and Pranav Jerry Chopra were also in doubt and left stranded due to the previous results, but are now eligible to play.

Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap had also been left confused less than 24 hours before the start of the All England Open 2021 after the latter's tests for COVID-19 came "inconclusive". Both took to social media to address their concerns, with the couple having to wait for more than 30 hours for their results to come back. Saina revealed that she couldn't practice for the tournament for two days in a row and tagged the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in a hope that the world body can help her cause.

Nehwal, unfortunately, had to go through a similar process during the Thailand Open in January when she had returned positive in a third COVID-19 test but was cleared to compete later after further investigation. The prestigious Super 1000 tournament is not part of the revised Olympic qualification window that runs till June 15, was earlier scheduled to start at 9 AM GMT (2:30 PM IST) on Wednesday.

In a joint statement by the BWF and Badminton England, the tournament start was postponed to 2 PM GMT (7:30 PM IST). The statement also revealed that in agreement with Public Health England, the positive cases will be retested and will continue to self-isolate while they are retested.

(Image Courtesy: All England Open Twitter)