3 Shuttlers Test Negative, Cleared for Thailand’s Tournaments

NONTHABURI, Jan 13 (TNA) – The Badminton World Federation and the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) have confirmed that three out of four shuttlers testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday morning could join three major tournaments in Thailand as their repeated tests turned out negative. India’s Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy together with Germany’s Jones Ralfy Jansen finally tested negative. Health officials found that they had contracted COVID-19 earlier but are now free of the disease. Meanwhile, the second test still turned out positive for Egypt’s Adham Hatem Elgamal. Officials concluded that he had not contracted COVID-19 and did not have immunity to the disease. The associations advised him to withdraw of the three tournaments. Other Egyptian shuttlers were quarantined and waited for another round of testing. BAT is organizing YONEX Thailand Open with total prizes worth US$1 million on Jan 12-17, TOYOTA Thailand Open with total prizes also worth US$1 million on Jan 19-24, and HSBC World Tour Finals with total prizes worth US$1.5 million on Jan 27-31.