Taipei: World No. 2 men’s singles player Chou Tien Chen, has decided to enter the Denmark Open that will be held in Odense, from October 13 to October 18, despite Europe was rocked by the second wave of coronavirus pandemic in recent weeks.
Chou said that he will depart for Odense, Denmark, on October 8th. After playing at the World Tour Super 750 event in Odense, he will fly straight to Thailand to play the remaining three Asian events of the season.
“I don’t think the epidemic will slow down any time soon, but everyone needs to return to normal life, including the badminton players. I would like to resume my normal life as well. After all, a player cannot stay out of the tournament for a long time,” said Chou.
The 30-year-old player said that before leaving for Odense, he would first go to the hospital to do a COVID-19 test at his own expense on October 6. If his COVID-19 test result comes out negative, he would start his one-month trip to Europe and Thailand. He is expected to return to Taiwan on November 16 and undergo a 14-day home quarantine. He also made sure that he carried enough personal protective equipment including protective gown, gloves, goggles, and masks.
According to the COVID-19 preventive measures in Thailand, foreign players are required to submit a COVID-19 test when entering the country. Players must arrive in Thailand 7 days before the start of the tournament and then would need to take another COVID-19 test in Thailand. If the results are negative, players can move freely in the designated player hotel and use the gym and fitness equipment such as swimming pools, etc.
If Thailand can host the three Asian legs of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour, including two Opens and one season-ending Finals in November for three consecutive weeks starting from Nov 10-15, that would be a piece of fantastic news for badminton fans around the world to catch at least one top-class action before the end of 2020.
Chou Tien Chen to play at Denmark Open despite coronavirus fears.
