Saina slams England's 'immature' decision to pull out

Hyderabad: Stunned by England's "immature" decision to pull out of the World Badminton Championship due to perceived security threat, top Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal said it would not take any sheen out of the elite event.

"It's an immature decision but I don't think it makes much of a difference to the tournament because there are no English top players in the singles event," Saina said.

Badminton England announced its decision to withdraw the eight-member contingent following a home ministry advisory on threat perception to the event ahead of the Independence Day celebration.

Saina said the English shuttlers were conspicuous by absence in practice and her coach Pullela Gopichand himself tried to convince them about the foolproof security here but to no avail.

"I think they should have been more patient. Even Gopi Sir spoke to them yesterday. In India, badminton is not as big as cricket so I don't think there was any need to be worry," said Saina, seeded sixth in the women's singles event.

"The tournament will go on without an issue and I don't foresee any trouble for anyone. I think they panicked since Independence Day celebrations are round the corner," she added.

Earlier, barely 24 hours before the event, Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy said the decision to pull out was taken after taking advice from the Foreign Office and British High Commission.

"This was an incredibly tough decision and we didn't take lightly. After the Olympic Games, this is the most prestigious Championships in the world but we were not prepared to risk the safety of our players, coaches and staff in what we felt could have been a very volatile environment," said Christy in a statement.

The England team, which also includes an Olympic silver medallist in Nathan Robertson, will return home immediately.

"We are extremely grateful for the speed in which the BWF and the organising committee reacted to the concerns following the threat. We have carefully considered the comments made by the local police authorities and we know that they have the best interest of all competitors in mind," said Christy.

"We have also listened to the advice from the Foreign Office and the British High Commission. We have been in constant dialogue with them over the past couple of days.

"The conclusion is that safety is of paramount importance and therefore, with great regret, the team will be returning home immediately," he added.

Ian Moss, England's performance director, said the shuttlers were disappointed as they prepare to leave India without taking part in the tournament.

"It is a disappointing outcome, especially after we had enjoyed a very good preparation at our holding camp in Doha, Qatar, last week. Our athletes were extremely well prepared for these Championships but, at the end of the day, personal safety must take priority over performance," said Moss.

"This was a unanimous squad decision and is not reflective of the efforts made by the Organising Committee to create the safest environment possible for all athletes," he added.

The England squad included singles players Andrew Smith and Rajiv Ouseph besides Anthony Clark, Nathan Robertson, Chris Adcock, Donna Kellogg, Gabby White and Jenny Wallwork who were scheduled to take part in doubles.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram had earlier assured all that the alert issued from his home ministry was a routine one and there was no specific information suggesting imminent threat to the tournament.

"I'm satisfied that the World Badminton Championship will take place in complete security. No one needs to have any apprehensions on this score," said Mr Chidambaram