The India Open Super 500 and the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournaments were on Thursday cancelled by the Badminton World Federation in its adjusted calendar to salvage a season thrown haywire by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The India Open, which was originally scheduled in March, was to be held from December 8 to 13 in New Delhi and Syed Modi was slated for November 17 to 22 in Lucknow in the previously revised calendar.
“The Badminton World Federation (BWF) will implement an adjusted tournament calendar for the HSBC BWF World Tour in 2020,” the world body said in a statement.
“The TOTAL BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2020 in Aarhus, Denmark will remain part of the international tournament calendar and will proceed on the planned dates of 3-11 October 2020.
“All remaining HSBC BWF World Tour tournaments on the calendar will no longer take place at the dates and locations originally listed.”
The badminton season has been on hold after the All England Championship in March.
“...After weighing the concerns of Covid pandemic it’s been decided that both #SyedModiInternational & #IndiaOpen stand cancelled for this year. The safety of players & other stakeholders connected to the game is paramount.We hope to return in 2021,” the Badminton Association of India tweeted.
According to BWF’s adjusted calender the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals will be followed by the BWF World Tour, which will resume with a two-week European leg in Odense, Denmark.
The two-week European leg will be followed by two Super 1000 tournaments in Asia and the prestigious World Tour Finals. The locations of the three Asian tournaments are yet to be announced.
Satwik tests corona +ve
Set to be conferred the Arjuna award on Saturday, Indian badminton player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy has tested positive for Covid-19 and been in home quarantine for nearly a week.
The 20-year-old men’s doubles player said he is yet to develop any symptoms of the infection.