Jakarta: Indonesian women’s singles shuttler Bellaetrix Manuputty has pulled out ahead of the 28th Southeast Asian Games that will be hosted by Singapore due to a knee injury. Bellaetrix was forced to retire from the match against Li Xuerui of China at last week’s Sudirman Cup semi-finals when the world No. 51 injured her left knee from improper landing after a jump against her Chinese opponent.
Recovery time for Bellaetrix is projected to be more than three weeks, and she had to withdraw from the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore. Hanna Ramadhini who originally only registered for the team event at SEA Games, will take the place of Bellaetrix in the women’s singles individual event together with Linda Wenifanetri.
Game coordinator of the Indonesian team – Mimi Irawan has confirmed Bellaetrix has been ruled out of the 2015 SEA Games due to injury.
“We have excluded Bella from the SEA Games due to her knee injury, Hanna has been named as her replacement in the individual event,” said Mimi.
“We will officially add Hanna to the individual event during the Delegation Registration Meeting that will be held in Singapore on May 21,” added Mimi.
Bellaetrix Manuputty won a gold medal in the women’s badminton single event in the Southeast Asian Games 2013 in Naypytaw, Myanmar. Her absence was like adding salt into an already gaping wound to the already depleted and thin Indonesia squad, especially in the women’s singles and men’s singles departments. Indonesia would have to put their bet on men’s doubles and mixed doubles to deliver gold medals for the country in Singapore.