World badminton body suspends play

MANILA, Philippines — The fastest sport in the world has slowed down.

The Badminton World Federation, the sport’s governing body, suspended all its tournaments and activities in the next two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It included the Badminton Asia Championships 2020, which the Philippines was supposed to host from April 21-26.

Other BWF meets that were postponed were the Thomas and Uber Cup, European Championships, Pan Am Individual Championships, Croatian International, and Peru International – all staking qualifying points for the Tokyo Olympics.

“The health, safety, and well-being of all athletes, their entourage, officials and the greater badminton community remain as the top priority,” said BWF in a statement.

The Philippine Badminton Association was awarded the hosting of the singles Asian Championships after successfully hosting the 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila last February. – JB Ulanday