The BWF has accepted Saina's plea for injury as the reason for skipping the season-ending championship, which is an exclusive event for the top-eight players in Super Series rankings but still asked her to meet the media in person before the start of the tournament.
The world number four Indian had pulled out of the USD 500,000 Super Series Finals to be played between January 5 and 9 because of a ligament injury in her left leg. On Friday, Saina, who is placed seventh in the Super Series standings, sent all the relevant documents, including the medical certificates in order to avoid the new fine of USD 5,000 for not participating in the event.
"The international body accepted the letter and the documents but asked Saina to travel to Chinese Taipei for two days on January 3," Saina's father Harvir Singh told PTI. "She has not recovered from her injury and won't be able to travel so we have requested the BWF to arrange a video conference instead. We are waiting for a response for them now," he added.
In case, BWF declines the request, Saina will have to pay the fine of USD 5,000 for failing to show up at the tournament. "It all depends on the BWF now. They have asked her to be present their to perhaps address the media regarding her injury. If she doesn't go and if BWF declines her request then, she will have to pay the USD 5000 fine," Punnaiah Choudary, a senior official of Badminton Association of India, said. "Nothing is in our hand. We will go by the BWF norms," he added.
The BWF had amended its regulation last month and imposed a penalty of USD 5000 instead of the previous meagre USD 250 fine for pulling out of the Super Series Finals. The decision was taken in the wake of the rampant pullouts by top shuttlers citing mild injuries. Saina had injured her leg during the final of the Hong Kong Super Series and skipped the Indian Open Grand Prix in Hyderabad this month at the last minute fearing it might aggravate her injury. -PTI
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