HYDERABAD, Aug 11: The organisers of the Badminton World Championships have dismissed reports that China was planning to pull out of the event over security concerns as England had on the eve of the tournament. “I have the entire BWF (Badminton World Federation) team with me. Nothing like that has come to our notice,” BWF vice-president and Indian federation chief V K Verma said on Tuesday. “The Chinese coach has gone on record saying he is more than happy with the arrangements, particularly with the security cover,” Verma added. “There is no issue at all.” The England squad withdrew from the Championships on Sunday citing a “specific terrorist threat”. Badminton England said in a statement the decision followed “concerns about the English team potentially being a target of attack in the event of a terrorist act”. An Indian official blamed media reports for causing the panic that had forced China to make contingency plans in the event of a call to withdraw.
“The first priority is the safety of the team. I don’t exclude the possibility of pulling out,” Beijing News quoted China’s head coach Li Yongbo as saying. “The World Championships take place every year. We needn’t risk our lives,” he told the paper. Li said the Chinese team had started working on the return tickets and would decide whether to stay after speaking to Sports Minister Liu Peng on Tuesday. (Agencies)
“The first priority is the safety of the team. I don’t exclude the possibility of pulling out,” Beijing News quoted China’s head coach Li Yongbo as saying. “The World Championships take place every year. We needn’t risk our lives,” he told the paper. Li said the Chinese team had started working on the return tickets and would decide whether to stay after speaking to Sports Minister Liu Peng on Tuesday. (Agencies)
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