2021 BWF World Championships rescheduled to not clash with Olympics

The
badminton world championship slated for August next year in Spain will now take
place from November 29 to December 5, the sport’s apex body said on Friday,
postponing its showpiece to avoid a clash with the Olympics. “The Badminton
World Federation (BWF) and Spanish Badminton Federation (FESBA) can confirm the
BWF World Championships traditionally scheduled for August 2021 will now take
place at the end of 2021 from Monday 29 November to Sunday 5 December,”
the BWF said in a statement.

The world
championship has traditionally been an annual event, which is however not held
in an Olympic year. But, with the 2020 Tokyo Games postponed to next year owing
to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be the first time that the prestigious event
will be conducted in the Olympic year. The decision to postpone the

Tokyo 2020
Olympic and Paralympic Games to 23 July to 8 August and 24 August until 5
September 2021 only confirmed this move, the BWF said.

The BWF had
suspended all tournaments till end of July in light of the escalating cases of
the novel coronavirus, which has infected over 30 lakh people worldwide. The
governing body had also frozen the world rankings, saying standings as on March
17 will be the basis for entry and seedings when it restarts the international
calendar. The BWF added, “the remainder of the 2021 BWF Tournament
Calendar is yet to be finalised” and “a further announcement will be
made on the qualifying process for next year’s Olympic Games, Paralympic Games
and World Championships.” Sindhu had claimed the crown last year at
Switzerland, while B Sai Praneeth had won a bronze in the tournament, becoming
the first Indian male shuttler in 36 years to achieve the feat.