Bangkok: Shuttler Kidambi Srikanth's experience at the Thailand tour has been far from pleasant as he shared pictures of his bleeding nose, following the 'unacceptable' treatment being meted out to the player while conducting coronavirus tests.
"We take care of ourselves for the match not to come and shed blood for THIS. However, I gave 4 tests after I have arrived and I can't say any of them have been pleasant. Unacceptable," Srikanth tweeted while sharing pictures.
Srikanth is in Bangkok for the Thailand open which commenced on Tuesday and will go on until January 17. On Sunday, Olympic gold medalist Carolina Marin had expressed her displeasure with the food being given to the athletes.
"We need better food to be ready to play. It's a difficult situation for all and we are grateful to be able to play tournaments, but we must take care of our body. In my case, because of a health issue, I need a special diet and this is not appropriate food for athletes," Marin had tweeted while sharing pictures of the food.
Also, earlier on Tuesday, Indian badminton players Saina Nehwal, HS Pronnoy, and Parupalli Kashyap withdrew from the tournament. Nehwal and Pronnoy tested positive for COVID-19.
The Indian squad, which travelled to Bangkok to participate in the Thailand Open followed by Toyota Thailand Open, had tested negative during the first two tests that were conducted. However, Olympic bronze medallist Nehwal and Pronnoy tested positive during the third Test, which was done on Monday.
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"We are constantly in touch with the BWF as well as the organisers and our team management and players. These are unprecedented times but BWF is doing everything to ensure full support to our players including their safety," Badminton Association of India (BAI) general secretary Ajay Singhania said in an official statement.
After testing positive, both the players have been taken to the hospital to be isolated for a minimum period of 10 days. Parupalli Kashyap has also withdrawn from the tournament and is quarantined in his hotel room due to close proximity with Nehwal.
"According to the guidelines and safety norms, these three players will not be participating in the tournament. However, all other players have been allowed to participate but they have to play without the presence of coaches and support staff as per the safety protocols," Singhania said.
