BAI reviews sideline call, all are invited now

Softening its stand on shuttlers not agreeing to fall in line, Badminton Association of India...

Softening its stand on shuttlers not agreeing to fall in line, Badminton Association of India (BAI) today called all players for the selection trials on May 6-8 for the Sudirman Cup and other international events.

National champion Chetan Anand, his wife Jwala Gutta, and Shruti Kurian, who had refused to take part in the ongoing national camp in Hyderabad at the cost of playing in Super Series events in Singapore and Indonesia, have also been called.

“All three have been called to take part in the trials and if they are selected, the participation in the remaining part of the ongoing camp till the Sudirman Cup will be mandatory,” a source said.

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The BAI selection committee meeting in Mumbai on May 9 will decide the team for the Sudirman Cup scheduled from June 11-17 in Glasgow.

Earlier, under-fire national coach Pullela Gopichand had said that players are not being “deprived” of taking part in international tournaments and the current national camp will only help them perform better in tournaments abroad.

“It (camp) has been done with a good intention. They have been playing continuously since last year. At some point they need to take a break and train because it is not only important to participate but also to show better results,” Gopichand said.