Dengue fever forces Indonesian to withdraw from world championships

Jakarta: Indonesia`s miserable luck with injuries has continued with Simon Santoso the latest shuttler forced to withdraw from next week`s world championships in Denmark after contracting dengue fever.

The world number eight, who won the Singapore and Malaysian Opens this year, has been in hospital since being diagnosed on Monday and will not be replaced for the event in Copenhagen as the men`s singles draw has already been made. Indonesian hopes at the Aug. 25-31 championships were hit further on Tuesday by men`s doubles defending champion Mohammad Ahsan forced to pull out after re-injuring his back, meaning partner Hendra Setiawan also won`t play. "It’s a disaster for us – what can I say. We are leaving on Thursday morning and we have no choice. They cannot play," PBSI official Bambang Roedyanto told the Badminton World Federation on Tuesday. "It’s the second time Ahsan has had lower back pain and it has gotten worse in the past few days while he has been training. He cannot even sit down properly now so, of course, he can’t move well or jump-smash and the doctor says he should not go." Indonesia`s injury curse began in June when mixed doubles world champions Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir were forced out of competing in Denmark after Ahmad injured her ankle.