NEW DELHI: Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu has returned to India after being stuck in Dubai since February 28 following the closure of West Asian airspace due to the escalating conflict in the region. As a result, she had to miss the All England Badminton, which started in Birmingham on Tuesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!On Tuesday, Sindhu informed that she might also miss the Yonex Swiss Open, a Super 300 event in Basel scheduled for March 10-15, due to limited air traffic in the Persian Gulf region and non-availability of tickets on most airlines. The tournament carries a purse of $250,000 (approx. 2.1 cr).“Swiss Open is definitely a target. But as I speak, all the flights are full. I have been trying to book one of them every day but there are no tickets available. Everything is via Dubai and it has been a challenge. We all know that going to Dubai is risky. We will see what happens in the next few days,” Sindhu said in a media interaction mediated by SAI.“I am looking for options, but nothing is working out so far. I also have to think about my coach (Indonesian Irwansyah Adi Pratam) and his safety.” Sindhu said the World Badminton Federation waived a $5,000 fine for her non-appearance at the All England, acknowledging the emergency. However, discussions over the potential loss of her ranking points ahead of the season spanning the CWG, Asian Games and World Championships continue, with Sindhu expecting an amicable solution due to “extraordinary circumstances”.“There are BWF regulations for top players skipping Super 1000 or Super 750 tournaments. If the world body doesn’t find the reasons justified, they will fine the player $5,000. I wrote an email to the BWF from Dubai. They understood my situation because it was probably the first time something like this had happened, and they dropped my penalty. That was the only relief.“As for the ranking points, they told me to send a joint email detailing my circumstances. I am waiting for their reply. They will give the decision in a day,” said Sindhu, who is also a member of the BWF Athletes’ Committee.“I’m just praying that this will be the first and last time I experience something like this. It’s going to be hard (to forget). You train so hard and then something completely out of your control prevents you from competing at a big event.”
