Encouraging news for Aparna

NEW DELHI, MAY 12. After a string of disappointments on being sidelined due to a three-month ban imposed by the International Badminton Federation (IBF), there is some encouraging news for Aparna Popat.

The National champion, seventh among the reserves for the women's singles at the Sydney Olympics, has moved up two rungs following the upgaradtion of the first two reserves, Chan Yan-Li of Chinese Taipei and Maja Pohar of Slovakia into the main draw. The `promotion' followed two pull-outs from the qualifiers' list.

It is learnt that Germany had decided not to enter any singles player at the Olympics. That accounted for one of the withdrawals from the women's singles list, Katja Michalowsky being the player. The other one was not known.

The German decision will also mean that Indian Nikhil Kanetkar, sixth among the reserves for the men's singles event, will move up by two places. One German, Oliver Pongratz, had already made the grade and another, Conrad Hueckstaedt, was just above Kantekar among the reserves.

The International Badminton Federation (IBF) has so far released a list of 162 players for the Sydney Olympics. Ten more names have to be announced. National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have time till May 26 to confirm whether the qualified players are being entered by them or not. Going by the re- allocation pattern followed, after detecting `duplicate' entries, it can be assumed that out of the 10 slots still vacant, two each will go into the singles events. Further vacancies will depend on withdrawals and more `duplication'. Aparna, at fifth, and Kanetkar, at fourth, among the reserves, still have an outside chance of making it.

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