National women's champion Aparna Popat pulled out of the Indian squad for the Sudirman Cup [ Images ] World team badminton championship, commencing in Beijing [ Images ] 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.