COVID-19: Two players withdrawn from India Open
New Delhi, Jan 15 (PTI) The COVID-19 pandemic continued to take a toll on the Yonex-Sunrise India Open badminton tournament with two players being withdrawn from the main draw ahead of their mixed doubles semifinal clash here on Saturday.
Second seeded Russian mixed doubles player Rodion Alimov tested positive for the virus and was withdrawn from the USD 400,000 tournament.
His mixed doubles partner Alina Davletova was also withdrawn after being identified as a close contact.
Indonesian pair of Yong Kai Terry Hee and Wei Han Tan thus made it to the mixed doubles final after getting a walkover.
"Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm that one player from the current draw has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2022," the world's governing body BWF said in a statement.
"The player returned a positive result to a mandatory RT-PCR test conducted on Friday. His doubles partner has been identified as a close contact and has also been withdrawn from the tournament. Their opponents will be given a walkover to the final."
On Wednesday, as many as seven Indian shuttlers, including reigning world championship silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth, were withdrawn from the event after testing positive for the virus.
Besides Srikanth, the other players withdrawn were Ashwini Ponnappa, Ritika Rahul Thkar, Treesa Jolly, Mithun Manjunath, Simran Aman Singh and Khushi Gupta.
Earlier, India's B Sai Praneeth, the 2019 world championship bronze medallist, double specialists Manu Attri and Dhruv Rawat had tested positive and had pulled out before the start of the tournament.
The entire England badminton contingent had also withdrawn ahead of the Super 500 event after the country's doubles specialist Sean Vendy and coach Nathan Robertson tested positive for the virus.
Organised by the Badminton Association of India, the 2022 edition of India Open is being held behind closed doors at the Indira Gandhi Stadium's KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.
As per the COVID-19 protocols, all the participating players are being tested everyday at the hotel and outside the stadium.
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Controversy arises as hoardings use Mandir to seek votes for BJP in Gandhi Nagar
Ahmedabad: In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections 2024, a contentious issue has emerged in the Gandhi Nagar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, where hoardings featuring references to a temple have been erected to garner support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The hoardings, which prominently display slogans advocating for the re-election of the Modi government and referencing the construction of a temple, have raised concerns about potential violations of the Model Code of Conduct, which prohibits the use of religion to solicit votes.
The hoardings, bearing slogans such as "Phir ek baar Modi sarkar," "Modi ki guarantee," and "Viksit Bharat," prominently feature the phrase "500 varsh baad bhaviya mandir Shri Ram Mandir," invoking the fulfilled promise of the construction of a grand temple dedicated to Lord Ram.
Social activist Shabnam Hashmi took to her social media handle to report the issue, urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take action against the perceived violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
Several users echoed Hashmi's sentiments, expressing disappointment and condemnation over the apparent exploitation of religious sentiments for political gain. One user questioned the lack of action from the ECI, while another criticized the focus on religious rhetoric instead of developmental issues. Others expressed concern about the influence of such tactics on the electorate, questioning the discernment of the people of Gujarat in light of these tactics.
Hoardings all over Gandhi Nagar Lok Sabha constituency using Mandir to ask for votes . Requesting @ECISVEEP @SpokespersonECI to take action
— Shabnam Hashmi (@ShabnamHashmi) April 18, 2024
Model Code of Conduct prohibits use of religion to ask for votes @gurdeepsappal @MukulWasnik @sonaldatta @SupriyaShrinate @devdesai74… pic.twitter.com/gyySWTJgY8
