Jakarta: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Indonesia’s legendary men’s doubles coach Herry Iman Pierngadi has asked Indonesian shuttlers to stay inside hotel during the 2020 Asian Team Badminton Championships that will be held in Manila, Philippines, from February 11 to February 16.
The coronavirus situation in Philippines has gotten worse when a 44-year-old man in the Philippines has died of the coronavirus on February 2, the first known fatality outside of China.
Therefore, the Indonesian team which was also the defending champion, is taking all necessary precautions such as using respiratory mask to protect its shuttlers from the illness.
Realizing the seriousness of the outbreak, Herry has asked Indonesian players to not leave the hotel, even if leaving the hotel to get food.
“The shuttlers shouldn’t leave the hotel. If they order food from outside, they could have the food deliver to the hotel and eat inside the hotel,” said Herry.
However, the situation will be different during the tournament, because there will be huge crowd of people present at the stadium.
“In my opinion, it is rather difficult for us to prevent people from watching, because this is a public event. So, in my opinion, we should take care of our health first, meaning that we must try to stay fit, such as taking vitamins,” added Herry.
“All shuttlers must be checked by doctor everyday to make sure they do not catch colds and other illness. PBSI has distributed masks but it is far more important to maintain health and check with the doctor every morning or after finish training. A team of doctors will also follow us to Philippines,” continued Herry.
