China pulls out of Indonesian Open in visa row<\/p>\n
BEIJING (Agencies): China has pulled out of the Sony
\nIndonesian Open badminton tournament accusing the host nation of
\nfailing to issue team visas on time, a Chinese Badminton
\nAssociation official said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The Chinese team, including world women's singles title holder
\nYe Zhaoying and Olympic women's doubles champions Ge Fei and Gu
\nJun, were not granted visas until Monday evening, the day before
\nthe tournament was due to start, said the official, who refused
\nto be identified.<\/p>\n
\"The host told us last night that we could leave for Jakarta
\ntoday, but the competition will be in full swing when we arrive
\nthere,\" the Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese team coach Li
\nYongbo as saying.<\/p>\n
Players usually arrive in the host city a day before the start
\nof the competition to give them time to adapt to local conditions
\nand to regain form, Xinhua was quoted by Reuter as saying.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Badminton Association had offered to postpone
\nthe Chinese team's matches by one day but Li complained his
\nplayers would then have to play more matches the next day, it
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"That is too tough. No one can bear it. To play under such
\nabnormal circumstance will affect players' results and rankings,
\nso we have to withdraw,\" Li said.<\/p>\n
It was the third time Indonesia had granted visas too late for
\na Chinese team to attend a competition, the association official
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The team was now in Malaysia and would travel directly to the
\nSingapore Open next week, he said.<\/p>\n
In Surakarta, Central Java, the tournament organizers have to
\nstage 33 qualifying matches on July 14 and July 15 at the Manahan
\nSports Hall.<\/p>\n
The main draw is played from today to Sunday.<\/p>\n
The men's singles and the women's doubles qualifying matches
\nwere played Monday, while the rest were played yesterday.<\/p>",
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