The Badminton Asia Championships 2020 has been suspended by the sports’ governing body due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The tournament — which was initially scheduled to take place in Wuhan, China but was moved to Manila, Philippines — was supposed to take place from April 21-26, 2020.
However, the rapid spread of the virus has forced the Badminton World Federation to suspend all its remaining tournaments for the next two months.
“The health, safety, and well-being of all athletes, their entourage, officials and the greater badminton community remain the top priority,” BWF’s statement read.
Also postponed were the European Championships, Pan Am Individual Championships, Croatian International, and Peru International — all pivotal meets for badminton players trying to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Philippine Badminton Association was awarded the hosting of the singles Asian Championship after successfully hosting the 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships in Manila last February.
As of March 21, there have been 307 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.
