- Badminton Association of India (BAI) which recently hosted the India Open Super Series and is set to host Thomas and Uber Cup team championships, is facing an unprecedented shortage of shuttlecocks owing to production delays and import restriction.
- Amidst fear of bird flu Indian govt had mandated that the shuttles, which are produced in China and imported via Singapore, are to be certified. This requires the feathers to be treated and boiled in water for 30 minutes.
- Suppliers said that they needed more time to work out an alternative as they said that boiling would ruin the feathers.
- Fearing loss of quality, the manufacturers alternately washed them in boiling water and immediately sent them to Japan for a 3-week quarantine, leading to the delay of around 2,000 cartons which are now expected in the first week of May.
Exams Perspective:
- Bird Flu
- Procedure to ensure safety of Shuttle cocks
- Pandemic
- Thomas and Uber Cup
- Badminton Association of India (BAI)