Malvika enters second round of Odisha Open

Orange City’s international shuttler Malvika Bansod entered the women singles second round in the second day of Odisha Open Badminton Championship at Cuttack on Wednesday.

In her first round match, Malvika who has just achieved career best 67th world ranking made a light work of Srivedya Gurzada 21-16, 21-11 in just 28 minutes. Now in the second round she will take on Under-19 World No. 1 Tasnim Mir on Thursday.

Shuttlers questions Covid tests

Meanwhile numbers of players have withdrawn themselves as they or their partner have tested Covid positive. However, at the same time they have expressed their surprise over Covid test results.

Woman shuttler Rituparna Das has too withdrawn herself after she tested positive. In her Instagram post she said, “Unfortunately I have to withdraw from the Odisha Open as I have tested positive. I got my result after 36 hours and looked very fishy as I don’t have any symptom so I have done a retest RTPCR here in Sun Hospital and got my results in four hours. And I am negative. I really don’t know what to say. People who have been recovered from Covid are still testing positive after 20-30 days”.

Doubles specialist Sikky Reddy has also withdrawn herself after she found positive. In her Instagram post she said, “I did test before leaving to Odisha Open and its negative. I tested positive on arrival and I don’t have any symptoms at all and was training fully. I felt so strange that I came back and did a retest and its negative. Can someone explain why is it like that.? Are these Tests are genuine enough and behalf of all players we want to know whom to blame. Is it the medical team, WBF, organising committee of Odisha Sports Department.”City's badminton coach Amit Raut in his facebook post said these rules are going to ruin the career of budding shuttlers. " It has been two years they are not able to get the momentum of the tournaments because of less number of tournaments are organised in the country and state and now when the tournaments are happening the rules have become the enemy of their career".

It caa be mentioned here that city’s doubles specialist Ritika Thaker had to withdraw as her mixed doubles partner tested positive. (By Nilesh Deshpande)