Nehwal, the world number seven and London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, was the highest ranked entrant and would have been named the number one seed.

But she has reluctantly withdrawn after failing to recover from an injury sustained during her Australian Open Super Series triumph last month.

"It is an extremely difficult decision but an important one," the 24-year-old told PTI. 

"I had suffered a groin injury during the first round in Australia and then there were those blisters on my leg but I still won the title.

"After I came back I had two-and-a-half weeks but I took one week to recover, so hardly got a week to train.

"So, I decided to pull out, but it's heartbreaking for me as well,"

She will now aim to be fit for the World Championships from August 25 to 31 in the Danish capital Copenhagen and then the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea from September 19 to October 4. 

In her absence, compatriot PV Sindhu, the teenage world number 11 who won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships, will be the highest ranked player, ahead of Scottish hope Kirsty Gilmour.

A thigh injury has already forced defending men's singles champion Lee Chong Wei out of the Games ©AFP/Getty Images






The news comes as a second blow for the sport following the withdrawal of Lee Chong Wei, also the runner-up at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, with a thigh injury. 

Malaysia will still be favourites to win the men's singles gold medal, courtesy of Chong Wei Feng, while India's Kashyap Parupalli will be seeded second ahead of England's European silver medal winner Rajiv Ouseph.

Beginning with a mixed team competition, the badminton programme in Glasgow will run for the duration of the Games, from July 24 until August 3.

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