KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — Thailand have been forced to pull out of next month’s Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Denmark due to a combination of Covid-19 related issues and injuries, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said today.

Thailand, who were placed in Group D of the men’s Thomas Cup and Group C of the women’s Uber Cup, are the third country to opt out after Chinese Taipei and Australia.

"Badminton Association of Thailand cited special circumstances related to Covid-19 in addition to injuries to key players in making the decision,” BWF said in a statement without elaborating on the issues.

The BWF added that the tournament will go ahead as scheduled in a "bubble” in Aarhus from October 3-11, with the replacements yet to be announced.

The biennial international tournament, originally scheduled to take place in May, had initially been postponed to August due to the Covid-19 pandemic before being moved to the new dates when the Danish government extended its ban on large gatherings. — Reuters