All England Deemed Odd

Indonesian badminton team when defeating the England team (Twitter / KBRILondon)

JAKARTA - The entire Indonesian badminton team was forced to withdraw from the prestigious All England 2021 tournament. This happened after the discovery of a positive case of COVID-19 on the plane that Marcus Gideon and his colleagues were traveling on. We discussed the chronology of the polymek with the epidemiologists, to see how likely they were to catch COVID-19. And the result, like what the Chairperson of PP PBSI Agung Firman Sampurna said: it doesn't make sense.

It all started when the British health authority, National Health Security (NHS) sent emails to 20 of the 24 members of the Indonesian team who were in Birmingham. In essence, they ordered the Indonesian team to return to the hotel to undergo independent isolation until March 23.

The Indonesian team will be at the Crowne Plaza Birmingham City Center. The NHS explained that on the plane carrying the Indonesian contingent from Istanbul to Birmingham there were passengers who were positive for COVID-19.

In the email, it was explained that if someone is on a flight with a person who is positive for COVID-19, then that person must undergo an isolation period of 10 days. Even though the person is negative for COVID-19 based on the latest tests.

From here the question actually arises. This is because there is a women's singles player from Turkey, Neslihan Yigit, who has not been declared a walkover (WO). Even though he was on the same plane with Indonesian players. This is one of the many things that raises question marks from many parties. Let's look one by one based on the chronology of the arrival of the Indonesian team to England.

Indonesian badminton team (Twitter / INABadminton)

Different fate

As is well known, the Indonesian team left for England on March 12 evening WIB using Tuskish Airlines. Of course, they don't forget that they have been provided with a negative PCR test result.

Arriving in Birmingham on Wednesday 13 March, Anthony Ginting et al again underwent a PCR swab test and were quarantined for 12 hours until the test came out. Then the tests came out, and the Red and White squad tested negative for COVID-19. They then held training at the gym at the Hotel Crowne Plaza Birmingham City Center on Monday 15 March.

That's when the incident occurred. There are seven people positive for COVID-19. They are from India, Thailand and one other is Denmark assistant coach Thomas Stavngaard.

As a result of this incident, the badminton world management body Badminton World Federation (BWF) had to postpone the All England match schedule due to doubts about a number of COVID-19 test results, and to retest. As a result, those who tested positive in just a day changed their status to negative. The tournament was still held that day even though the implementation was delayed.

On this basis, the decision to dismiss the Indonesian team was considered unfair according to world number one men's doubles player Marcus Fernaldi Gideon. Through his Instagram account, Gideon expressed his disappointment.

"To be fair, people who have been tested plus have to undergo more tests because we really don't believe in the covid test they are running anymore because as you can see all 7 positive cases can turn into 7 negative cases in just 1 day. "said Gideon.

Win then go home

Much of the isolation instruction letter issued by the NHS after the first round matches was lamentable. The reason is, 3 Indonesian representatives had won in the last 32 match of the All England on March 17 yesterday. Then the question is again, why did the badminton teams from countries that competed against Indonesia, namely Germany, Thailand and England, did not have the same fate?

The three Indonesian representatives who competed and won were Marcus Gideon / Kevin Sanjaya (men's doubles), Mohammad Ahsan / Hendra Setiawan (men's doubles), and Jonatan Christie (men's singles). Marcus Gideon / Kevin Sanjaya became the first Indonesian representatives to win when serving the German contingent, Jones Ralfy Jansen / Peter Kasbauer.

Then the other men's doubles pair, Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan also competed and won against Ben Lane / Sean Vendy from England. The result of the 56-minute match should have led Ahsan / Hendra to meet the Danish pair Jeppe Bay / Lasse in the last 16.

Then finally, Jonathan Christie also won the duel with representatives of Thailand, Kunvlavut Vitidsarn. Through a 53-minute battle, the player who is familiarly called Jojo was able to beat Vitidsarn in a straight set win.

First @yonexallengland 🇮🇩 match today 17/03, congratulations to 'The Minions' win! Good luck for the next round! Marcus Fernaldi Gideon & Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 🇮🇩-🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Matthew Clare & Ethan Van Leeuwen21-12; 19-21; 21-9 # AllEngland2021 @INABadminton pic.twitter.com/xLXoYTYDyU

- Indonesian Embassy London (@KBRILondon) March 17, 2021

How likely is it to be infected?

Another thing that is unfortunate is why the British authorities' decisions seem so strict. It can be seen from the warrant sent to the red and white squad.

"You have to do it (self-isolation) even if you have no symptoms or receive a negative result when tested. This is because you may be infected with Covid-19," read an excerpt from the NHS email sent to the Indonesian team.

In fact, to be even more convincing, the Indonesian team could have tested the PCR again. So it is really known whether they carry the virus or not.

As stated by an epidemiologist from Airlangga University, Laura Navika Yamani, if there is information regarding a positive case in one plane, if you want to do another COVID-19 test at that time. "Even if there is a match schedule, for example on the 18th, if you want to be tested at that time ... But actually you can still have activities when you are confirmed to be negative," he said when contacted by VOI.

Indeed, according to Laura, the possibility of transmitting COVID-19 on an airplane that actually implements health protocols is small. According to him, it depends on the tools used to check COVID-19.

"We don't know whether it's because of the tool, or because even if the trip is impossible, for example a one-day trip, then it is said to be negative and getting there to be positive is impossible. But yes, maybe it was a type of examination where the tools had different sensitivity," Laura said.

The General Chairperson of PP PBSI Agung Firman Sampurna still insists that this matter needs to be thoroughly investigated so that it can be ascertained whether the national team actually made contact and was infected or not. Because from the results of the PCR swab test conducted by BWF on Saturday, it was found that all members of the national team, both athletes, coaches, and officials, tested negative for COVID-19.

"The public must know that we cannot compete because the national team is declared to be on the same plane with another passenger who is positive for COVID. But until now we have not been told who the passenger was, who he said also interacted with 24 members of the national team. That does not make sense," said Agung. .

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