Domestic badminton season to start from August 27: BAI

The BAI also said a camp of 70-75 players will be held, including top players like Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa,

According to BAI's proposal, the camp, for both senior and junior shuttlers, will be held in three cities -- Hyderabad, Guwahati and Bangalore -- under strict COVID-19 protocols.

The domestic season of badminton will begin on August 27 with back-to-back senior tournaments in Bengaluru, the national federation said on Monday.

The first senior tournament (both men and women) will be held from August 27 to September 3 while the second event will be staged from September 4 to 11, according a circular of Badminton Association of India.

Last month, in its bid to restart the domestic season under strict COVID-19 protocols, the BAI had requested the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to approve a national camp for the shuttlers in the first week of this month.

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According to BAI's proposal, the camp, for both senior and junior shuttlers, will be held in three cities -- Hyderabad, Guwahati and Bangalore -- under strict COVID-19 protocols.

Around 70-75 players will be part of the camp, including top players like Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa, the BAI had said.

BAI had asked its state units to get their players and officials vaccinated for the resumption of the domestic season under strict COVID-19 guidelines.

According to the guidelines of the BAI, players above the age of 18, coaches, technical officials, organising team and staff need to be fully vaccinated and are required to carry their certificates with valid barcodes.

For the shuttlers below 18 years of age, it will be made mandatory to carry a negative RT-PCR report with a barcode, 96 hours prior to departure from their respective stations.