JAKARTA - The war between the United States-Israel against Iran, which is still ongoing, made the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) decide to withdraw Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan from the 2026 Orleans Masters.
Pelatnas PBSI women's singles coach, Imam Tohari, said that they decided not to send Thalita to the BWF Super 300 level tournament because they considered the factor of security and safety in the journey to the tournament location.
"Currently, the situation in the Middle East is still quite dynamic, which is one of our main considerations," said Imam in a statement received by the media.
Thalita was supposed to travel alone to the tournament venue. This is considered to increase the potential risk during the trip to France so that withdrawing is the best decision.
Imam said that after considering the team together, they finally decided to withdraw Thalita from the tournament to avoid unwanted things.
"This decision was taken solely to ensure that the safety and comfort of athletes remain the top priority. Thalita will focus on preparing and competing for the next tournament in a more comprehensive situation," he said.
The Orleans Masters 2026 is scheduled to take place on March 17-22 at the Palais des Sports, Orleans. Thalita was originally the only Indonesian women's singles player who would play there and start the fight from the qualifying round.
Thalita's withdrawal from the tournament left the Indonesian representative with 10 singles. The number consists of two men's singles, three men's doubles, two women's doubles, and three mixed doubles.
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