Aparna cries foul at Asiad selection

New Delhi: Experienced shuttler Aparna Balan today cried foul after being left out of India's squad for the Asian Games, saying she and her women's doubles partner Sruthi KP were "deliberately ignored" despite their consistent performances at the selection tournaments.

Badminton Association of India (BAI) had organised two All India senior ranking tournaments in Bangalore and Hyderabad to allow the domestic players a chance to make it to the Asian Games squad.“We were ignored again from Asian Games team after performing well in selection tournaments. 

We are continuously and deliberately ignored and neglected by some of the persons in the selection committee (sic),” Balan wrote in her facebook page.
“This is not the first time I am ignored from the team. Being nine-time National Champion I was excluded from 2014 Asian Games and Commonwealth team.

"I am a nine-time national champion and have been representing our nation almost for past 12 years with due merit. For the past few years I am continuously and deliberately ignored from the national team selection despite performing well in domestic and international tournaments," she wrote.

BAI selected young combination of Rutaparna Panda and Aarthi Sara Sunil, who won the title in Bangalore and finished at the semifinals at Hyderabad, as the second pair in women's doubles besides the senior combo of N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa.

For women’s singles, BAI selected four players – Ashmita Chaliha, Sai Uttejitha Rao, Gayathri Gopichand and Akarshi Kashyap – after the automatic selection of senior players Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu in the 10-member women’s squad.

BAI stressed that the selection was done keeping in mind the 2020 Olympics. BAI, however, assured that players, including Aparna and Sruthi, who have missed out this time will be sent for international tournaments in the coming months.