Back Home After Dubai Ordeal, Sindhu Worried About Ranking Loss, How To Make It To Swiss Open

Back home after Dubai ordeal, Sindhu worried about ranking loss, how to make it to Swiss Open (Image Source: IANS)

BWF World Rankings: The last few days have been as bad as a nightmare and an ordeal never experienced for Indian badminton legend PV Sindhu, as the two-time Olympic medallist was stranded in Dubai on her way to England because flights were cancelled due to the Middle East crisis triggered by the US-Israel attack on Iran.

Sindhu, who was on her way to Birmingham to participate in the All-England badminton championship, was stranded in Dubai for a couple of days. With no avenues open for her onward journey to England, she had to withdraw from the prestigious event and return home by the first available flight to India from Dubai, prioritising her safety.

"I tried every possible way to go to Birmingham for the All-England, but that was not possible. I even considered taking alternate routes, even last night I was exploring various routes, one of which would have involved three stops and a 24-hour journey, and I would have reached Birmingham on Thursday, but by that time, the All-England would have already started," said Sindhu in a media interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India.

Now that she is safe and sound in her hometown, Hyderabad, Sindhu's main concern is how this withdrawal will affect her BWF World Rankings and how she will be able to reach Switzerland for the next event on the calendar, the Swiss Open, to be held in Basel from March 10 to 15.

Sindhu has been told that the USD 5000 penalty for not participating in a major tournament will be waived, as this is an unprecedented event and the circumstances were beyond her control. The ranking loss is something the BWF has yet to decide on, and they have told Sindhu they will get back to her.

"They said they will get back to me, and I am waiting for their response. They asked for my views, and I have told them that and will also talk to them as a member of the Athletes Commission," said Sindhu.

Describing it as the worst ordeal she has ever encountered, Sindhu said she was in contact with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the sport's global governing body, from February 28, the day she landed in Dubai, and was told that the airport had been shut down and all flights suspended.

"Soon after I landed in Dubai on the 28th (February 28) at 1 pm, we were told that all flights were suspended. We didn't know how it was outside and what the situation was going to be because they told us to wait for some time. And then they said the flight was delayed.

"And then they said the airspace was closed. So it was like, you know, what was happening? It was very stressful. At that point in time, when we were at the airport, because it was completely different from the time my colleagues, like the doubles team, took off from Dubai," said Sindhu.

The biggest scare was experienced by her Indonesian coach, Irwansyah Adi Pratama, who was still at the airport when an explosion occurred. "He called us from the airport, telling us that there was a big sound around 100m from him and there was a lot of smoke. We were not sure whether it was a drone attack or a missile. But he was safe, and the authorities soon got him out of the airport, and he was taken to a hotel. It was very scary, and we were very worried about how things would turn out. We were getting regular messages from the UAE authorities to stay indoors and not to move out. Only last night, the Emirates people said there was a flight to India, and I decided to take that as safety comes first," said Sindhu.

"And then they said the airspace was closed. So it was like, you know, what was happening? It was very stressful. At that point in time, when we were at the airport, because it was completely different from the time my colleagues, like the doubles team, took off from Dubai," said Sindhu.

Sindhu admitted that she and her team were scared by the entire situation, but they kept in touch and comforted each other. They also received support from other Indians staying at the same hotel. "I am disappointed in missing out on the All-England because I had prepared a lot for it. But in the end, safety comes first, and I had to withdraw from it as it was not possible to reach there," said Sindhu.

Article Source: IANS