National women's champion Aparna Popat pulled out of the Indian squad for the Sudirman Cup World team badminton championship, commencing in Beijing on May 10, on medical grounds.

Popat is suffering from "acute positional vertigo" (which relates to giddiness) and it would take her a week to ten days to be fully fit, chief national Coach Vimal Kumar said.

Aparna's withdrawal is a serious setback to the Indian campaign in the event.