Good news for Jalandhar shuttlers

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 30

The interim committee of the District Badminton Association (DBA) here on Saturday decided to open Raizada Hansraj Stadium from June 3 for senior state and national-level players.

Issuing guidelines to all the members, the DBA has asked the players to get their fresh entry cards made, adhere to the time slots given to them, get Cova App downloaded and maintain social distance as they enter, leave and use any provision at the stadium.

A member of the interim committee, Ritin Khanna, today showed that foot-pressing sanitisers had been installed everywhere in the stadium. “A new entry gate has been opened wherein players will not have to touch knobs. Shoe sanitisation facility has been kept. All players will show entry card and slot timings. They will undergo thermal screening. Gymnasium and canteens will remain shut. Players will bring their own water bottles and towels and keep them safely. No handshakes, hugs or high fives will be allowed among players. Shuttlecocks will be exchanged through rackquets and will be picked by servers from the floor”, he said.

He said that players below the age of 10 years have been strictly barred from playing as of now and only the players in advance stages would be allowed. “Now that the government has relaxed working hours, we will be able to have sessions from early morning to late evening. The seniors will start one-hour session from 5.30 am to 10 am and then again in evening from 5 pm to 8.30 pm. For the younger lot, there will be two sessions of two hours each from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm. We have five courts and will allow 15 players in one session, two of whom will be in each court and third waiting to get a chance from loser in the game. In all, about 135 players will be able to get back to the game daily”, he said.

Khanna added, “There has been tremendous pressure from the players and their families asking us to reopen service but we wanted all things to be put in place before getting it restarted. We hope we will manage most players in these sessions. If there will be more rush, we will get the sessions staggered with players being allowed on alternate days giving chance to more persons. Thankfully, the coaches of the academy have not gone back and are with us and they have agreed to work on half salary”.

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