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Monday 10 August 2009

England Team Withdraw From World Badminton Championships

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/08/09/article-1205338-020C9A3D00000578-705_468x373.jpg

The English badminton team have withdrawn from the competition, citing "a specific terrorist threat made by extremists" to be the reason for their withdrawl. The team pulled out of the tournament, which is held in Hyderabad, after alleged reports of threats by Muslim extremists Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Even though the World Championships are considered one of the most important and prestigious events in the badminton calendar, the English players and staff made a "unanimous" decision to pull out of the tournament and return home. Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy said: "After the Olympic Games, this is the most prestigious championships in the world but we were not prepared to risk the safety of our players, coaches and staff in what we felt could have been a very volatile environment." Some players have complained about the lack of security in the area in and around the venue, as they claim that the presence of armed guards or forces are insufficient and inadequete.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/08/09/article-1205338-0600A615000005DC-867_468x278.jpg

So far, England are the only team to withdraw from the event.

Anne Smillie, chief executive of Badminton Scotland, said that Badminton England had "perhaps overreacted".

She said: "I don't necessarily think they've made the right decision.

"Certainly our Scottish players and our team manager who are in Hyderabad feel confident that the security is at its best. They have been well looked after and they have no intention of coming home."

The England badminton definitely had a chance of bringing home a medal, so was the threat significant enough to force a withdrawl of a team?

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01459/nathan-robertson_1459616c.jpg

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