JAKARTA - A number of badminton players from the Indonesian national team admitted that they were disappointed with PP PBSI's decision to withdraw from the World Championships in Spain, but realized that this resignation was for the good and safety of all athletes.
One of them, the senior men's doubles athlete Hendra Setiawan who claimed to have a strong desire to add to his fourth world title, after previously winning the 2013 2015 and 2019 editions.
"For me, I love it, yes, but considering the conditions, the decisions made have been through careful consideration. Plus yesterday Ahsan had an ankle injury. I don't know how severe it is and how long it will take to recover," said Hendra as quoted by Antara, Thursday.
Hendra also paid attention to the spike in COVID-19 cases in Europe, which was considered worthy of serious consideration before the national team left for Spain.
From the men's singles, there were Jonatan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting who also spoke about Indonesia's cancellation to compete in the World Championships, which has entered its 26th edition.
Jonathan, who is actually undergoing a serious training period, does not regret the parent organization's decision and considers the cancellation to be the right thing.
Ginting has also done thorough preparations, but cases of increasing viral infections in Europe are non-technical matters that must be considered for the safety of the participants.
"From discussions with other players and coaches, we are also worried that a risk like what happened at the All England yesterday could happen again. Luckily, we had time to rest after being hit by a series of tournaments yesterday," said Ginting.
Likewise, mixed doubles specialist Melati Daeva Oktavianti, who also sees health as a non-negotiable priority. Personally, he prefers to withdraw because he is worried about being exposed to COVID-19.
"Looking at the current situation, this decision may be the best. Everything is to avoid the risk of exposure. The health of the team is the most important," said Meli, the mixed doubles player's nickname.
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