Saina Nehwal Was Not Forced to Play in Premier Badminton League, Says BAI Chief Akhilesh Das Gupta
Saina Nehwal did not play the opening clash of the tournament on January 2 in Mumbai, citing injury. She played the two home matches for her team -- the Awadhe Warriors -- in Lucknow but did not take the court in both her team's ties in Hyderabad.
Saina Nehwal's unexpected and dismal loss in the semifinal of the Premier Badminton League (PBL) on Friday led to the chairman of the six-team tournament, Akhilesh Das Gupta, facing some stinging questions. (Premier Badminton League: Delhi Acers Look to Trump Mumbai Rockets in Final)
When quizzed about whether Saina was forced to participate in the cash-rich tournament, despite being not fit, Das Gupta cleared the air by saying that India's ace shuttler was never forced to participate.
"Saina was not fit which is why she did not play in Mumbai and Hyderabad. It is up to the player to decide whether he or she is fit to play or not. I assure you neither the BAI nor any franchise forced Saina, or as a matter of fact any other player, to play," Das Gupta said.
Saina did not play the opening clash of the tournament on January 2 in Mumbai, citing injury. She played the two home matches for her team -- the Awadhe Warriors -- in Lucknow but did not take the court in both her team's ties in Hyderabad.
She finally returned to play the semifinal against Han Li of the Mumbai Rockets, but her performance was way below par. She did not move well and easily lost to the Chinese player, who is ranked way below her.
"Saina herself thought she was fit and went to the court. But many a times a player realises that he or she is not fit enough only when the match starts, which was probably the case with Saina too," Das Gupta concluded.