VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 19 - The sudden withdrawal of the Indonesian squad from All England 2021 must serve as a lesson for other sports branches preparing for the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers, according to the chairman of the Indonesian Olympics Committee (KOI).

"We will take this situation as a reference because there are still many qualifier events running. We do not want to see the same problem recur, therefore we will coordinate with Chief de Mission of the Tokyo Olympics," Raja Sapta Oktohari said here on Thursday.

The committee, he said, will ensure that the health protocols applied by the host country do not set back Indonesian teams.

His remarks came after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton England withdrew the Indonesian team from the All England 2021. The entire team was asked to self-isolate for 10 days from the date of their inbound flight after a person traveling onboard tested positive for COVID-19.

BWF and Badminton England will continue to follow all protocols required by the UK Government and the local health authorities to ensure the safety of all participants, BWF said in a statement.

Oktohari said the decision cannot be challenged since, under the British government's regulations, a person traveling in the same airplane as someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 is required to undergo 10-day isolation upon arrival.

The crucial point of the incident, according to KOI, is BWF’s failure to prepare an alternative plan for such an emergency that would not harm the Indonesian squad.

The organizing committee should have applied and adjusted the British government's guidance and regulation in preparing the tournament, Oktohari said.

Therefore, he added, KOI will study the regulations on COVID-19 protocols set by each co-host of the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"This will become our reference for the Tokyo Olympics because there are many issues we have to learn and adapt regarding to regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

All England 2021 will not contribute to Olympic points, but the incident would pressure athletes, Oktohari remarked. (Antaranews)