SINGAPORE - Singapore's top female player Yeo Jia Min will not compete at the upcoming Badminton World Championships, she announced in an Instagram post on Friday (Aug 19).
Yeo had contracted Covid-19 earlier this week - her second time getting the virus - after returning from the Commonwealth Games on Aug 10.
While she has recovered and was seen in training on Wednesday, her polymerase chain reaction test still returned a positive result, meaning she would not be able to enter Japan.
All travellers to Japan must return a negative PCR test conducted within 72 hours before departure.
World No. 18 Yeo had been due to play South Korean world No. 43 Sim Yu-jin in the first round.
Yeo, who was knocked out in the second round last year, posted a photo of herself donning her match outfit.
The 23-year-old wrote: "All set for World Championships with new dresses sent from @lining.official.
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"However, I unfortunately will not be able to enter Japan to participate this year.
"Wishing my teammates the best at Worlds nonetheless, do send them your support!"
Yeo had also tested positive for the virus in January.
The rest of the team, including men's singles world champion Loh Kean Yew, left for Tokyo on Friday for the Aug 22-28 tournament.
Eighth seed Loh's title defence will begin against Spanish world No. 59 Pablo Abian, whom he beat in their only meeting at last year's Dutch Open.
He has also been placed in the same half of the draw as Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen, Japanese former world No. 1 Kento Momota, Danish world No. 3 Anders Antonsen and Malaysian star Lee Zii Jia.
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Also part of the Singapore team in Tokyo are Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champions Terry Hee and Jessica Tan.
The world No. 33 pair will kick off their campaign against England's Callum Hemming and Jessica Pugh in the first round.
They won their only meeting against the 46th-ranked duo at the Orleans Masters in March.
Hee will also be in action in the men's doubles with Loh Kean Hean. They will take on France's Cristo Popov and Toma Junior Popov in the first round.
Commonwealth Games men's singles semi-finalist Jason Teh will face Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands in the opening round, while women's doubles pair Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong will meet Austria's Serena Au Yeong and Katharina Hochmeir.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
