Badminton Association Writes To SAI To Conduct National Camp Ahead Of Domestic Season

In its bid to restart the domestic season under strict COVID-19 protocols after more than a year, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has requested the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to approve a national camp for the shuttlers in the first week of next month. (More Sports News)

According to BAI's proposal, the camp, for both senior and junior shuttlers, will be held in three cities --  Hyderabad, Guwahati and Bangalore under strict COVID-19 protocols.

Around 70-75 players will be part of the camp, including top players like Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, N sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa.

"The domestic badminton scene as well as the National Camp needs to resume if all goes well and the pandemic doesn't have any more damaging impact on lives," BAI general secretary Ajay Kumar Singhania told PTI.

"We have written to SAI proposing the resumption of the camp from the first week of August. We are awaiting to hear from them."

BAI had last month said that it has asked its state units to get their players and officials vaccinated for the resumption of the domestic season under strict COVID-19 guidelines.

According to the guidelines of the BAI, players above the age of 18, coaches, technical officials, organising team and staff need to be fully vaccinated and are required to carry their certificates with valid barcodes.

For the shuttlers below 18 years of age, it will be made mandatory to carry a negative RT-PCR report with a barcode, 96 hours prior to departure from their respective stations.

The 2021-22 season will kick-start with senior Ranking Tournaments, followed by events in age categories.