Terror Threat Forces England Out of Badminton Tournament

The England team has withdrawn from the World Badminton Championships in India because of “a specific terrorist threat” against the tournament.

The eight-strong squad, which includes the Olympic silver medallist Nathan Robertson, pulled out of the event, which starts tomorrow in Hyderabad, after a reported threat by the Muslim extremist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The tournament’s organisers said they were disappointed by the decision of the England team, which was also accused by its Scottish counterpart of over-reacting.

Thomas Lund of the Badminton World Federation said: “It’s unfortunate that the English team made their decision before we had had an opportunity to properly brief the team management.”

Anne Smillie, chief executive of Badminton Scotland, which said its players will stay, told the BBC the English players would have to live with the knowledge that they have pulled out of a major world event. Welsh Badminton has three players at the tournament.

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