BWF World Championships will be played from November 29 to December 5 next year in Huelva, Spain. (Representational Image)
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Spanish Badminton Federation (FESBA) on Monday confirmed that the World Championships will be played from November 29 to December 5 next year in Huelva, Spain.
The tournament, which is usually played in August, will be held in the same calendar year as Olympics for the first time ever. The decision was taken after considering the schedule for Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games, which will be played from July 23 till September 5 in 2021.
The governing body issued a statement in this regard, which stated, “BWF and FESBA had already opened discussions with tournament hosts to stage the championships later in the year to ensure the ultimate success of the event for players, their entourage and fans.”
“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.”
It further added that the new schedule will provide the players with substantial time to prepare for both Olympics and the World Championships. BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer said that shifting the Worlds to late November was in the best interests of the sport.
“BWF and Spanish Badminton Federation are confident that the rescheduled championships will be a success. The move allows both the Olympic badminton competition and the World Championships to be conducted with equal fairness for everyone,” Høyer said.
FESBA President David Cabello added, “We hope the World Championships in Huelva will be a special occasion for badminton in Spain and the world. We are satisfied that moving the championships to the end of the year will allow us to deliver the best tournament possible.”
The remainder of the 2021 BWF Tournament Calendar is yet to be finalised. Meanwhile, the governing body has suspended a host of events this year, including the likes of US Open World Tour Super 300, BLIBLI Indonesia Open Super 1000, and Asia Championships.