PV Sindhu's return to court delays till Feb 2024, gets protected ranking

Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu is likely to extend her rehabilitation period till February 2024. This comes after she applied for a protected ranking in the latest rankings of Badminton World Federation (BWF) published on Tuesday, November 7.

PV Sindhu, who is currently ranked world no.11 in the women's singles BWF rankings, suffered a knee injury at the French Open last month. In the second-round match against Thailand's Supanida Katehong, the Indian star took a medical timeout and subsequently retired from the tie.

After returning back to India, the double-Olympic medallist confirmed a niggle in her left knee. She pulled out from Syed Modi India International 2023, which is scheduled between November 29 to December 3 in Lucknow.

PV Sindhu was advised by doctors to take a few weeks of rest. Her father P.V Ramana told Revsportz that her rest period ends on November 16.

The No.1 ranked Indian women shuttler's latest BWF ranking appears to be protected just like Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon. Reports have suggested that PV Sindhu will remain out of action as long as February 7, 2024.

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What is protected ranking in badminton availed by PV Sindhu?

Top committed world badminton players can apply for protected ranking if they are unable to compete for a longer period due to injury or any other circumstances. This facility relieves players to maintain their rankings even when they remain absent from tournaments.

Rules for protected ranking

To avail the protected ranking under BWF, the player must submit their medical or other relevant documents that support their case for an extended absence from global events.

If the BWF permits protected ranking then the player will be:

1. be exempt from the mandatory tournament participation rules.
2. not be eligible for any bonus for that particular year
3. won't be able to participate in a tournament for a minimum of three months to a maximum period of 12 months or until the time the player notifies BWF about their wish to return to a tournament. The protected ranking's validity is only for 12 months and the player shall enter the tournament on normal rankings.
4. won't be granted a protected ranking for at least two years once the player returns to tournaments
5. Upon return, the players will be granted the privilege to participate in BWF World Tour Tournaments using their protected ranking position, for a duration equivalent to their absence, up to a maximum of six months is important to note that the protected ranking will not be taken into consideration for seeding or any other tournaments apart from those within the BWF World Tour Tournaments.