World no 2 shuttler Kento Momota withdraws from World C'ships

Japan shuttler Kento Momota has pulled out of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships 2021 which gets underway from Sunday in Huelva, Spain.

Momota also withdrew from last week's BWF World Tour Finals 2021 with a back issue and has returned to Japan.

BWF also confirmed the withdrawal of a large contingent of Indonesian players. The apex body said the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) made the announcement on Wednesday morning expressing concerns linked to the COVID-19 situation.

"A small number of Indonesian players remain in the draw. BWF is disappointed with the decision by PBSI and regret that the withdrawal took place after the draw," BWF said in a statement.

"However, BWF and the Spanish Badminton Federation are now focused on delivering a safe and successful World Championships in line with the advice and measures put in place by the local and national health authorities, including a comprehensive set of safety protocols for all players, team officials and key stakeholders," it added.

Malaysian seventh seeds Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying on Monday announced their split as a pair after 13 years and have too withdrawn from the World Championships.

BWF said a majority of players have now arrived safely in Huelva and entered the tournament bubble.

Round one matches start at 10 am local time on Sunday.

( With inputs from ANI )

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