India's former world No 1 Saina Nehwal dropped a bombshell when she asked to be withdrawn from next month's E-Plus Badminton Asia Team Championships in Alor Setar, Kedah in Malaysia.
The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist and winner of a silver medal and a bronze medal in the world championships, is currently playing in the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta and has reached the semi-finals in the women's singles.
In an all-India quarter-final played on Friday the 28-year-old Nehwal defeated compatriot and second seed P. V. Sindhu 21-13, 21-19 for her first win over the Rio Olympics silver medal medallist in an overseas tournament. Sindhu, 22, also won the silver medal at last year's World Championships in Glasgow.
Nehwal has written to the Badminton Association of India (BAI) to be excused from the Asian Team Championships in Alor Setar fromFeb 6-11 as she wants to prepare for the All-England Championships in Birmingham in March.
However, BAI secretary Anup Narang was quoted in the Indian media that he will be writing to Nehwal to consider revising her training programme to play in the Badminton Asia Team Championships.
He described the E-Plus Badminton Asia Team Championships as a "critical tournament" since it is also a qualifier for the Uber Cup Finals in Bangkok in May. The top four (semi-finalists) will get an automatic place in the Uber Cup Finals.
For the record India reached the Uber Cup semi-finals in 2014 and 2016. India has named a strong women's team for the E-Plus Badminton Asia Team Championships with Sindhu and Saina in the lineup to carry India's challenge.
Others in the singles are Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde. Ashwini Ponnappa-N. Sikki Reddy lead the doubles with Prajakta Sawant-Sanyogita Ghorpade and Rituparna Das-U.K. Mithula.
At the last Happening Hyderabad Badminton Asia Team Championships 2016 in Hyderabad, India in 2016 the host reached the quarter-finals where they lost to South Korea 3-0.
The Indian Women's Team
Singles
P.V. Sindhu
Saina Nehwal
Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli
Ruthvika Shivani Gadde
Doubles
Ashwini Ponnappa-N. Sikki Reddy
Prajakta Sawant-Sanyogita Ghorpade
Rituparna Das-U.K. Mithula
