Granular Club seeks reduction in Bodin's ban from two years
Play
Granular Club president Jane Piyatat said he would file a petition on behalf of Bodin Issara after the latter was banned for two years from local and international events by the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) following his on-court fight with cou
Bodin was sentenced to a two-year ban for physically assaulting his former Olympic Games partner Maneepong during the Canadian Open men’s doubles final in Vancouver last Sunday.
Maneepong was suspended from the circuit for three months for verbally abusing Bodin and was put on parole. The punishment became effective from July 27.
Ban too severe: Jane
However, Granular Club, which has Bodin in its roster, views the punishment as too severe. Club president Jane said he would launch an appeal to both BAT and the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to reduce the ban to one year or just six months. The BWF is set to hear the case on August 2.
“I understand that BAT would like to set a standard but a two year ban is too severe.
After the BWF announces its decision, we will file a petition,” said Jane, who was banned from accompanying his team to local and international events for six months by BAT for failing to discipline his player.
Jane also said that Bodin was depressed because of the punishment. He said he would send Bodin to train with clubs in Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia during the ban to keep himself fit.
Meanwhile Maneepong said that although he accepts the decision by the BAT he regrets missing out on playing in three big up-coming events, next week’s World Championship in Guangzhou, the China Masters and the Japan Open.
“I think I will go back to my hometown in Phuket to recover from my injuries and regroup mentally,” said Maneepong.
