All England 2021 Case Is A Valuable Lesson Ahead Of The Olympics, KOI: We Don't Want This Incident To Happen Again

Chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) Raja Sapta Oktohari (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) Raja Sapta Oktohari said that the sudden withdrawal of the Red and White team from All England in 2021 is a valuable lesson for teams that are preparing to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

"We will take this situation as a reference because there are still many qualifying events taking place. We don't want this incident to happen again, so we will coordinate with sports and CdM (contingent chairman) for the Tokyo Olympics".

"We will coordinate to ensure that the health protocol implemented for the Olympic qualifications does not harm the Indonesian team," said the man who is often called Okto in virtual press conferences on Thursday, as reported by Antara.

According to Okto, the incident of the Indonesian team being forced to resign halfway through was inviolable. The reason is clear, according to British government regulations in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone who is on the same plane as a positive person is required to undergo isolation for 10 days.

What is an important point for KOI is the failure of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to prepare alternative plans in handling emergencies so that they do not end up harming the Indonesian team.

According to him, the organizing committee should be able to apply and adjust the guidelines and rules of the British Government in preparing for the tournament.

Therefore, he said he would study the rules and regulations for the COVID-19 protocol in each country organizing the Tokyo Olympics qualifications so that if a similar incident happened, it would not be detrimental to Indonesia.

"This will be a reference that we will bring to the Tokyo Olympics because the regulatory policies in the midst of COVID-19, of course, we have a lot to adapt and study well," he said.

Even though the decision to withdraw the Indonesian team from All England in 2021 is final, KOI and a number of parties will continue to fight for justice for the treatment received by the Indonesian squad.

All England 2021 is not included in the Olympics calculation points, but the incident this time, continued Okto, will be a special pressure for athletes.