TT National Ranking: Covid scare in national ranking, G Sathiyan withdraws – Another day, another tournament affected by the rising COVID-19 cases. This time around, the UTT National Ranking (Central Zone) Table Tennis Championships being held at Indore saw 14 cases turn positive out of 350 rapid antigen tests conducted out of which four players were confirmed to be COVID-19 positive following RT-PCR tests. Out of those who have pulled out include top seed and Commonwealth Games medallist G Sathiyan who withdrew citing high temperature and body pain. A few more joining the list of confirmed cases are not ruled out, even as the organisers are keeping their fingers crossed. Follow InsideSport.IN for more updates
However, the show will go on. Competition Manager N. Ganeshan confirmed it when he said: “We will not allow the four players and any other that tests positive after RT-PCR tests. Unfortunately, they cannot participate, but we will go ahead with the championships because we have to think about the other players who are here.”
“The same system will continue in other categories as well for this tournament and the subsequent Cader & Sub-Junior Nationals that begins soon after,” he added.
Two other withdrawals in the women’s singles followed when Ankita Das, who arrived here last evening but left for home this afternoon to attend to her unwell mother, and Divya Deshpande because of an injury.
The spat of withdrawals also forced the redrawing of the seedings to fill the 16th spot. In the newly-drawn seeding, Sanil Shetty got the pride of place with Manav Thakkar following him at No. 2. Jeet Chandra of Airports Authority of India made it to the top 16 following the vacancy created by Sathiyan. However, the women’s singles seeding will remain the same as drawn yesterday as none among them is a positive case.
The men and women qualification matches got underway, albeit with some delay, because of the compulsory Antigen tests. The main draw in both sections will take place tomorrow after the Youth Under-19 players start their campaign.
TT National Ranking: Covid scare in national ranking table tennis tournament, 4 Covid positive players return home, G Sathiyan withdraws
