All England case should not be ignored: President

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) instructed all parties to not stay silent about the treatment meted out to the Indonesian badminton team at the All England 2021 tournament, according to Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali.

"President Jokowi has called on us to take quick and best steps, especially to save our Indonesians there," Amali noted during a press conference at the Ministry of Youth and Sports office on Friday.

"On the other hand, the president also urged that this unkind treatment should not be ignored and should be questioned," he affirmed.

The minister echoed the government’s disappointment over the treatment meted out by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to the Indonesian badminton team at the All England 2021 tournament.

Moreover, players and officials were treated unfairly after being forced to withdraw from the tournament. They are not allowed to use the lift facilities and must return to the hotel on foot.

The Indonesian team currently had to undergo independent isolation at the hotel until March 23.

Amali ensured that the Indonesian Embassy in England had also provided logistical support to the Indonesian team in Birmingham since they were not allowed to leave the hotel.

The government is also currently looking to gain clarity on the fate of the Indonesian team in Birmingham.

If it is not possible to continue the match, they can return to Indonesia.

"I just received news that the required logistics were supplied to them. Currently, we are working to prevent our players from being confined (in hotels)," he concluded.

The Indonesian team was required to withdraw from the BWF World Tour tournament after 20 of the 24 members received an e-mail from NHS, the British health authority, informing that one of the passengers on the plane that they were travelling in from Istanbul to Birmingham had tested positive for COVID-19.

They are required to undergo self-isolation at the hotel for 10 days from March 13-23.

The Red and White Squad had earlier undergone a COVID-19 test after having arrived in Birmingham, Saturday (Mar 13), and all of them had received negative results.

However, in accordance with the UK government's regulations, the entire team will self-isolate for 10 days from the date of their inbound flight after a person travelling onboard had tested positive for COVID-19

The BWF was also considered to have failed to organize this matter since it could not take precautionary measures to handle unexpected events, such as what the Indonesian team had to experience.