Saina Nehwal refuses to play in CM Sonowal’s "sport capital" Guwahati

Guwahati, February 14, 2019:

Assam's Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has announced every intention to turn Guwahati into the "sport capital" of India and the 83rd National Senior Badminton meet is even being held in the city. So far so good, right? But what is this, the wooden floor seems to be lower than the desired level. Surely the Assam Government would not make this blunder at a meet where internationally renowned athletes like Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu are participating? And what is this, Saina is refusing to play on the court due to injury concerns.

Ahead of the mixed-doubles pre-quarterfinals match of the Championship, Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap on Thursday complained to the Assam Badminton Association courts at Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium in Guwahati needs a lot of improvement.

Fearing that she might get injured if she plays on the sub-standard court, the ace shuttler expressed her disappointment at the playing condition as the wooden surface of the badminton court went down after only a few matches had been played, as informed by Assam Badminton Association.

Following the complaint, the match has been rescheduled for the evening as Assam Badminton Association has been trying to improve the court for the match.

In the embarrassing incident in CM Sonowal’s proposed ‘sport capital of India’, the wooden surface of the badminton court went down after a few matches on Thursday. Saina expressed disappointment over the issue and informed members of the Assam Badminton Association about the condition of the court.

The BJP Government has promised a ‘vikas ninad’ to combat the AASU’s ‘bajra ninad’, but if these embarrassments continue, national and international level events will be forced to boycott Guwahati, and ‘awesome Assam’ will become ‘kolongkito Assam’.