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Marcus and Kevin end BWF Finals journey over sprained neck
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Marcus Fernaldi Gideon (front) and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (back) (PBSI/PBSI)
T
he 2018 season has ended quickly for Indonesia’s Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo as the defending champions were forced to walk out of the BWF World Tour Finals on Friday after Marcus sprained his neck.
The Indonesian pair’s coach Aryono Miranat said Marcus had pulled a neck muscle while facing Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen on Wednesday.
“It was a tough match. Maybe when he tried to return shots, he pulled the muscle […]. Even last night [Thursday] when they faced Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen [of China], they were not on their top game,” Aryono said in a statement on Friday.
“Marcus still feels the pain, it has even somehow spread to his eyes now. We’ve given him treatment for the pain twice, but it is not enough.
“Marcus decided to call it off because he was afraid it would’ve gotten worse. Initially, Kevin still wanted to play, but they’ve talked through it and mutually agreed to walk out,” he said, adding that Marcus had reported the matter to the referee.
Marcus and Kevin won Wednesday's match after three games. However, due to the neck pain, the Indonesians lost on Thursday.
The decision to quit the finals was also strategic because they will start the next season early in the lead-up to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. (nkn)
