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Marin: We all just need to keep going
Date: 3/17/2020 11:34 AM
Published by : Alan Raftery
As the whole world watches the news unfold around Covid-19, people are settling into their new ways of life for the coming weeks. The global reaction to announcements of sports cancellations and suspensions shows how much sport unites us all. 

Badminton is certainly a part of this, and players are reacting and adjusting to the news of the suspension of all HSBC BWF World Tour and other BWF-sanctioned tournaments from Monday 16 March until Sunday 12 April.

Tournaments affected include the YONEX Swiss Open 2020, YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2020, Orléans Masters 2020, CELCOM Axiata Malaysia Open 2020, and Singapore Open 2020, as well as many international Grade 3 tournaments.

Several of the tournaments impacted as a result of the suspension fall within the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualifying period. BWF will make a further announcement on regulations related to Olympic qualification points at a later date.

This news came during the All England Open last week, and for many players, left them and their coaching staff scratching their heads as to what happens next?

Stay close to my dad
The news, of course, put pressure and uncertainly on all major events coming up this year, and the big one people are talking about is the Olympic Games. Reigning Olympic women’s singles champion, Carolina Marin, following her semifinal exit to Tai Tzu Ying laid down her priorities for the coming weeks.
 
-I just have to get back to Spain and we have to see what my team is planning for me. But we all just need to keep going, I will keep practising and try and improve my game. My priorities are to keep care of myself because as you know Spain is really crazy about the Coronavirus. I will go to my hometown to stay close to my dad. 

As we learnt last week, Marin’s father is unwell in the hospital so understandably her focus is on him right now. 

It is a weird situation
Anders Antonsen too reached the semifinal but was mightily unfortunate to retire from the match after rolling his ankle against Chou Tien Chen at just 17-14 in the first game. Earlier in the week, he shared his thoughts about this fast-paced news. 

-It is a weird situation; Denmark has just shut down. Schools, institutions, everything is closed for the next few weeks. But here we are walking on court to play badminton as always, as if nothing is wrong, in front of a big crowd. I do not know what to make of it, it is really weird. So, it is a little bit more challenging to keep focused on the game. It is a sad situation.
 
The country most worried about the Olympics uncertainty is naturally the hosts, Japan. Many years of planning and preparation have happened to get to this point. Japanese pair Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota, one of the favourites to take the women’s doubles gold in Tokyo, explained their concern after becoming All England champions for the first time. 

-There are no concrete plans yet and we do not know what will really happen. But of course, they will train and try and keep the condition we are in right now.  

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