Seven Indians participating in India Open 2022 test positive for COVID-19

Kidambi Srikanth is the most high-profile among the names.

As many as seven Indian players participating in the India Open 2022 have tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, they have been withdraw from the tournament. The most high-profile among the players is Kidambi Srikanth.

Kidambi Srikanth was the top seed in the men's single category at the India Open 2022. He had already entered the seconf round by virtue of beating Siril Verma in Round 1. He was to face Danish shuttler Kim Brunn in the next round. His withdrawal from the tournament will surely come as a huge blow for the shuttler, who was the favourite to clinch the gold medal.

Apart from Srikanth, the other players infected are Ashwini Ponnappa, Ritika Thaker, Treesa Jolly, Mithun Manjunath, Simran Singh and Khushi Gupta. The players returned a positive result to a mandatory RT-PCR test conducted on Tuesday.

Doubles partners deemed close contacts of the seven players have also been withdrawn from the tournament. As a result, N Sikki Reddy, Dhruv Kapila, Gayatri Gopichand, Akshan Shetty and Kavya Gupta will also play no further part in the India Open 2022. Sikki Reddy partners Ponappa in the women's doubles category. Kapila forms the mixed doubles team with Sikki Reddy. These were two of the favourite teams to win their respective categories in the India Open 2022.

Before the start of the tournament, 2019 World Championship bronze medalist B Sai Praneeth tested positive for COVID-19 and withdrew from the India Open 2022. Along with him, Mannu Attri and Dhruv Rawat also returned positive results. The entire England badminton contingent had also withdrawn from the tournament. This was because the doubles pair of Ben Lane and Sean Vendy had tested positive for COVID-19.

Despite the shadow of the coronavirus looming large over the India Open 2022, the organizers will not discontinue the competition.

"Testing protocols have been implemented in accordance with Badminton World Federation and Badminton Association of India guidelines to ensure the health and safety of all participants," a statement from the BWF read.

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