Terrorist fears force England out of World Badminton Championship

ENGLAND have withdrawn their team from next week's World Badminton Championships amid security concerns.

HEADING HOME: England's Nathan Robertson and Anthony Clark were among the medal hopefuls in the men's doubles but are flying home from India after terrorist threats (Getty Images)

The eight-strong squad will return from the Indian city of Hyderabad after media reports of a specific Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist threat against the championship.

"This was an incredibly tough decision and one we didn't take lightly," said Adrian Christy, chief executive of Badminton England.

"After the Olympic Games, this is the most prestigious championship in the world but we were not prepared to risk the safety of our players, coaches and staff in what we felt could have been a very volatile environment.

"We are extremely grateful for the speed in which the BWF and the organising committee reacted to the concerns following the threat.

"We have carefully considered the comments made by the local police authorities and we know that they have the best interest of all competitors in mind.

"We have also listened to the advice from the Foreign Office and British High Commission. We have been in constant dialogue with them over the past couple of days.

"The conclusion is that safety is of paramount importance and therefore, with great regret, the team will be returning home immediately."

National champion Rajiv Ouseph was due to open the championship on Monday but the decision was backed by Ian Moss, Badminton England's performance director. He claimed it had full support of all the players.

"This was a unanimous squad decision and is not reflective of the efforts made by the organising committee to create the safest environment possible for all athletes," he said.

"It is a disappointing outcome, especially after we had enjoyed a very good preparation at our holding camp in Doha, Qatar, last week.

"Our athletes were extremely well prepared for these championships but, at the end of the day, personal safety must take priority over performance."

However, England's decision to withdraw has already been slammed by leading Indian players - who have labelled it 'immature'.

And it will heap further pressure on the organisers of next year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where badminton will be one of the hottest tickets.

"It's an immature decision but I don't think it makes much of a difference to the tournament because there are no English top players in the singles event," said world number six Saina Nehwal.

And Badminton England's decision was also criticised by their colleagues in Scotland.

Susan Egelstaff, who won bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and Alistair Casey will both start their campaigns on Monday.

"I don't necessarily think they've made the right decision," said Anne Smillie, chief executive of Badminton Scotland.

"Certainly our Scottish players and our team manager who are in Hyderabad feel confident that the security is at its best. They have been well looked after and they have no intention of coming home."

At present England are the only team to withdraw from the event.