Recently, players have traveled from all over the world to Bangkok to participate in the Thailand Badminton Open. However, on January 3, the world badminton world reported two shocking news of confirmed COVID-19 cases. They were Japan's number one men's singles Kento Momota and Malaysia's coaching director Huang Zhonghan.
After the Denmark Open last October, the world badminton world came to a standstill again. Under pressure, the Badminton World Federation chose to hold two Super 1000 events and the 2020 World Tour Finals in Bangkok, Thailand for three consecutive weeks in January of the New Year. This event does not include Olympic points. Coupled with the severe epidemic prevention situation, the Chinese badminton team has withdrawn from these three events last week.
According to the competition’s epidemic prevention regulations, participants must first undergo a nucleic acid test after arriving at the designated hotel in Bangkok and be quarantined for seven days as required. In addition, players must undergo a nucleic acid test on the 4th, 9th, 13th, and 18th days after arriving in the competition area. Players who want to participate in the Badminton World Tour Finals must undergo a nucleic acid test again on the 22nd and 26th days.
In the past two days, people from all walks of life in the badminton world have set off for Thailand. Players such as Ng Ka Long and Tai Tzu Ying have posted photos on social platforms of themselves and their teams wearing full protective gear and flying. It is worth mentioning that Danish player Antonsen, who was diagnosed with the new crown in early December last year, has recovered and has arrived in Bangkok with the Danish team to prepare for the competition.
The Japanese team and the Malaysian team also set off in the past two days, but the core figures of both teams were unfortunately diagnosed with the new crown before departure. On the evening of January 3, according to news from many Japanese media including NHK and Yahoo, Japanese men’s singles star Kento Momota tested positive for nucleic acid at Tokyo Narita International Airport.
Kento Momota achieved three consecutive men’s singles titles at the Japanese National Championships in December last year, and then participated in the recording of the TV program "Saury Feast" around Christmas, which was broadcast on the evening of January 2 on Fuji TV out. After the Japanese National Championships, the Japanese team members went through a short vacation and regrouped at the preparation base on the evening of January 2nd, preparing to leave for Thailand on January 3rd. Affected by Momota Kento's diagnosis, all members of the Japanese team were unable to go abroad to Thailand and all withdrew from the three races in Thailand.
Unlike the Japanese team, the Malaysian team still departed for Thailand as scheduled today despite the diagnosis of coaching director Huang Zonghan. According to Malaysian media reports, the coaching director of the Malaysian badminton team Huang Zonghan tested positive for the new crown yesterday. He is an asymptomatic patient and is being treated in isolation alone. Also undergoing pre-departure nucleic acid testing were 39 other athletes and coaches of the Malaysian team, and their test results were all negative.
All members of strong teams such as China and Japan have withdrawn from the competition. In addition, news has spread that team members have tested positive for nucleic acid tests. The three games in Thailand, which were already under pressure, have once again fallen into gloom. Whether the three-week tournament can be completed safely and as scheduled has attracted close attention from the global badminton community.
