Agree fully... But keep in mind according to reports the decision to not play was unanimous..so it seems like the players would not want to play the WC.. I wonder if team UK dare to cross the street at lunch hours in London CIty.. pretty high mortality rate there compared to WC bombings... /Twobeer
http://www.newscred.com/article/sho...s-grow-after-withdrawal-4a7ef2f0d1145/1873335 "A spokesman for Badminton England said he understood the threat was reported in Indian newspapers in the last 48 hours. The organisation's performance director, Ian Moss, said: "When we arrived in Hyderabad there were reports in the local media about a terrorist threat. "We initially thought they had been exaggerated in the media but when the players saw the lack of security at the stadium they passed on their concerns to me and I informed the BWF that we were withdrawing from the championships. It was a unanimous squad decision." In contrast to a dutch player's blog post on Saturday that mentioned half the army seemed to have turned up at the facility ...
I'm not too convinced by the decision being unanimous.. You know as well as I do that chances to shine in badminton (especially in Europe) are so few and far between that to miss out on perhaps the biggest chances in this manner would be devastating. Chances like this are what badminton players build their whole careers and even lives up to and so I find it particularly hard to believe that the all the players themselves were not up to taking the risk, especially when every other team involved was prepared to do so. That said I do respect the concerns of the team management in wanting to do everything to protect the players and you can see it from their point of view as well, and it can't have been decision to take lightly. Let's just hope that the tournament passes incident-free and we can enjoy a high standard of badminton!
Hmm.. ...maybe they didn't see 'em cos the security guards were probably on their lunch break, thus no one was around guarding the playing hall/stadium...
I just read what was reported from badmintonengland on http://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/s...ld+Championships§ion=13§ionTitle=News "This was a unanimous squad decision and is not reflective of the efforts made by the Organising Committee to create the safest environment possible for all athletes.” I don't really understand why they had to make up their mind to fly back so quickly (much quicker than any other team/country obviously).. Why couldn't they further discuss with the organizers (security, risks etc.) before flying back?!? I think they just look silly now when every other nation don't let sense and logic cave in to irrational fear.. /T
Here are the following reasons I could think of why ENG withdrew from the tournament: 1. They don't trust the security. 2. The threats are more serious than everybody thinks. 3. The threats are directed towards them. 4. They chickened out.
so the threat was only to england not to Scotland Wales Ireland china Indonesia India japan Korea Nigeria USA Only to England seems unlikely that it was only made at then and no one else
Just wait until tomorrow,...when Eng team reached home, they will make their side story clearer.......they said they will do that once they reached home.....
I think the horrors of the london bombing are still strong in many of the English, both on the team, and possibly in adminstration.. this may have had a factor in their withdraw.. better safe than sorry..
latest 'insider info' says that netherlands already withdrew from this tournament..dunno true or not..hmm...maybe china might withdrew too...
More on the fallout withdrawal of the ENG team.. ..more like #1...either they overestimated the threats or they just don't trust the security... anyway, more news here on their fallout withdrawal...They should've assigned 1 or more armed guards for each of the ENG national player... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090810/ap_on_sp_ot/bad_worlds_england_out_4 ========================================================== Player: Badminton worlds in India 'not a safe place' Mon Aug 10, 2009 LONDON (AP) -- England badminton officials and players blamed what they said were inadequate security measures for their decision to pull out of this week’s world championships in India. Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy told a media conference on Monday that the team was not given “appropriate levels of security” for the tournament in Hyderabad. Security concerns over sports events in South Asia have been heightened since the attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan, that killed six policemen and a driver in March. Seven cricketers, an assistant coach and a match official were injured, and England’s Commonwealth Games champion Nathan Robertson said he and his teammates were disturbed by the threat of a similar attack. “It wasn’t a safe place for staff or players,” Robertson said at the media conference at Milton Keynes, England. “We were on back roads with no armed guards or anything -- just a bus driver. It doesn’t matter to me where it is in the world, we weren’t safe in that situation. “It wasn’t a difficult decision in my mind.” England flew home from Hyderabad on Sunday, a day before the tournament started, because of a terrorist threat from a Pakistan-based Islamic militant group. Indian police have denied there was a threat but team manager Andy Wood said that security was so lax that members of the public could easily walk into the players’ hotel unchallenged. “I don’t think we have overreacted,” Christy said. “We were very clear of our expectation of security before the event. We went to Hyderabad with every intention of being met with appropriate levels of security. “We were not particularly impressed with the level of security we were met with on arrival and subsequent days. It was absolutely the right thing to do.” Christy also expressed his unhappiness with comments from Badminton Scotland chief executive Anne Smillie that England had overreacted. England performance director Ian Ross said other teams were concerned with security and got in touch with their embassies for advice on whether to stay. “This is unfortunate and an overreaction,” India home secretary G.K. Pillai said late Sunday. “The security arrangements in Hyderabad are good and the government of India is committed to ensure the complete security of all competitors and the championship.” In March, two of England’s top badminton players withdrew from the India Open in Hyderabad citing security concerns. British sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has said he will talk over the issue with Indian government officials and that the country intends to support India in its hosting of the Commonwealth Games next year. “We very much look forward to the Commonwealth Games,” Christy said. “I’m sure they will be a great success.” Policemen inspect a vehicle at the entrance of Gachibowli Stadium - the venue of the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad on August 9, 2009.By Getty Images
Reactions from India's players/organizer on the ENG team's withdrawal.. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...adminton-Championship/articleshow/4874364.cms ========================================================== India slams English pullout from World Badminton Championship PTI 9 August 2009, 08:30pm IST Print Email Discuss Bookmark/Share Save Comment Text Size: | HYDERABAD: The Home Ministry on Sunday rued England's last-minute pullout from the World Badminton Championship in Hyderabad, terming it "over-reaction". ( Watch ) "This is unfortunate and an over-reaction," Union Home Secretary GK Pillai said. "The security arrangements in Hyderabad are good and the Government of India is committed to ensure the complete security of all competitors and the championship," he added. Barely 24 hours before the elite tournament gets underway in Hyderabad, England withdrew its eight-member contingent citing a "specific Lashkar-e-Toiba" threat. England's eleventh hour withdrawal came a day after Home Minister P Chidambaram had assured all that there was no specific threat to the event and a foolproof security system had been put in place for the purpose. Indian shuttlers on Sunday flayed England for its last-minute pullout from the World Badminton Championships with Saina Nehwal calling it an "immature" decision. "It's an immature decision but I don't think it makes much of a difference to the tournament because there are no English top players in the singles event," Saina said. Saina said her coach Pullela Gopichand tried to convince them about the foolproof security here but to no avail. "I think they should have been more patient. Even Gopi Sir spoke to them yesterday. In India, badminton is not as big as cricket so I don't think there was any need to be worry," said Saina, seeded sixth in the women's singles event. "The tournament will go on without an issue and I don't foresee any trouble for anyone. I think they panicked since Independence Day celebrations are round the corner," she added. India's top men's singles player Chetan Anand said the pullout will hurt India's image as a safe sporting destination.
I think some news mentions some "specific threat" towards England? But other news do not mention such thing.
At least, with ENG's pullout, we wont see any DRAMA from Kellog or Nathan...hehe.. Players are happy about that...trust me!! no one is regretting their withdrawal....
Maybe some of the thai players got food poisoning in India? maybe they mistaken the dhail curry as tomyam?
