India’s para shuttlers safe, claims coach after witnessing blasts close to hotel in Uganda

The Indian para-badminton team is not in fear and everything is in control after six people were murdered and 33 others were injured in twin bomb blasts in Uganda's capital Kampala on Tuesday, November 16. The Indian para-badminton team was sleeping in a hotel around 100 metres from where the bomb incident occurred. National coach Gaurav Khanna-led team, included Tokyo Paralympic winner Pramod Bhagat, Tokyo Paralympic bronze medalist Manoj Sarkar, and Manasi Girishchandra Joshi.

Earlier, India para-badminton announced on Twitter on November 16 that the team is safe. The caption of the post read, “Indian Team is Safe! There is multiple Bomb Blast 100 mtr away from official Hotel in which @parabadmintonIN team staying incl. @GauravParaCoach & @PramodBhagat83 @manojsarkar07 @joshimanasi11"

The National para-badminton coach Gaurav Khanna told ANI, “The blast happened in the morning when players staying in Holiday Express were departing towards the venue and it happened a few meters away from them and there was chaos because it was a crowded place where that hotel is situated. It was a real panic all around but security people immediately just took out of all players inside to the hotel from the bus.”

He later learned that there were another series of blasts. At the moment, there was a little bit of panic around, and they were all thinking seriously about what was going on and he also contacted the BWF officials, as well as the tournament referees and the concerned organisers, according to the media agency. “Further after a good pause and when the security people have taken up the matter again, the bus departed from the hotel to the venue. We played our matches that were scheduled today and we are doing good and there is no panic anywhere else and things are under control fully So we are again back to track and expecting to bring good number of medals back to the country,” the coach explained, ANI reported.

Uganda Twin Blasts

Two blasts shook Uganda's capital, Kampala, killing at least three people and injuring dozens more in what authorities described as a coordinated strike. Three suicide bombers were also killed in the explosions, according to police, AlJazeera reported. The blasts prompted panic in Kampala, with panicked inhabitants fleeing the city centre. Reportedly, the blasts happened just three minutes apart. Both were carried out by assailants using explosives. A potential attack on a third target was thwarted by police who tracked and disarmed a suspected suicide bomber, according to AlJazeera. According to authorities and witnesses, one device burst near a police station and the other on a roadway near the parliamentary building. The explosion near parliament looked to have struck closer to a building housing an insurance company, and the resulting flames devoured automobiles parked outside, the media agency reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: ANI