Bhubaneswar: With just five days to go, the Odisha State Government is leaving no stones unturned to host the inaugural edition of the international badminton tournament the 2022 Odisha Open, which will witness over 300 players from 18 countries vie for the top honours. The 2022 Odisha Open is a BWF Super 100 tournament that will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack.
The Odisha Open will however will be held behind closed doors with no spectators and strict adherence to Covid guidelines and norms laid down by the State Government and Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“Odisha is hosting this event for the first time and our collective efforts is to ensure an overall safe and secured environment for players to participate in their respective games. The Sports and Youth Services Department is working closing with Badminton Association of India and Odisha State Badminton Association to ensure that the event is as per BWF standards and is conducted smoothly with safety of players being given utmost priority. Covid protocols have also been clearly defined. We look forward to hosting all the players and officials and wish them a wonderful stay in Odisha and good luck for their event,” said Sports Minister, Tusharkanti Behera.
“Under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Odisha State Government has always taken great strides to promote Sports, across several disciplines, and Badminton is one of them. Hosting this inaugural edition of the Odisha Open is another step in getting more sportspersons from the state ecosystem to aspire and grow in the sport. Very soon, our Badminton High Performance Centre will also be completed and get operational,” he added.
As per the protocols laid down by Odisha State Government and Badminton World Federation (BWF), RTPCR test is mandatory for all players and officials and they have to arrive before 23 January to participate in the event. Players also need to carry their RTPCR negative reports (72 hours) at the time of arrival along with their vaccination certificate. Moreover, as per the BWF guidelines, no player shall be allowed to enter the venue (event and practice) without a prior negative RTPCR report. State Association have also been asked to intimate players on these guidelines. Random testing shall also be conducted for officials and players not staying at Official hotels. Teams from Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and Capital Hospital along with a dedicated team from State Sports Department will be deployed for this.
The venue, Jawaharlal Indoor Stadium, Cuttack, has gone through minor upgradation and enhancement befitting the event. The district administration and Cuttack Municipal Corporation are also ensuring the Silver City is all ready to welcome the players and officials and creating a memorable experience for them.
