Simon and Jwala to miss Incheon Asian Games

Following the news out of China that women’s doubles world #1 Tang Jinhua would be replaced in the Chinese Asian Games squad, both India and Indonesia have announced similarly disheartening news that will have a particularly strong effect on their chances in the team badminton events.

It was reported today in the Indian press that former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jwala Gutta would be missing the Asian Games with a knee injury.  Jwala’s partner Ashwini Ponnappa has thus been left without partners in both women’s and mixed doubles.  Her mixed partner Tarun Kona was apparently dropped from the team in light of the fact that mixed doubles does not feature in the team events at the Asian Games, according to a report in India Today.

Also reported today was the quandary facing the Indonesian men’s team as Simon Santoso will be unable to compete in Incheon in the aftermath of the dengue fever episode that kept him out of last month’s BWF World Championships.  According to a report today in the Berita Satu news service, Simon has not fully recovered from the illness and the medicine he took while battling the fever was not reported sufficiently promptly to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).  Indonesia, which had not included an alternate singles player in their roster for the men’s team, will have to play a mixed doubles player at third singles unless they get approval to make a late substitution of 17-year-old Jonatan Christie for Santoso.