BWF moves two World Junior tournaments to January 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: The 2020 BWF World Junior Championships, which was initially scheduled to take place in Auckland, New Zealand in September, has been postponed to Jan 18 to 24, 2021.

Badminton World Federation (BWF), in a statement yesterday, said only eligible shuttlers are allowed to take part in the tournament, and the new time frame will give the Badminton New Zealand and the tournament organisers to run the event in the best way possible.

The 2020 World Junior Mixed Team Championships will take place from Jan 11 to 16 next year at the same venue.

BWF secretary-general Thomas Lund said the world governing body is looking forward to working with the Badminton New Zealand to organise another huge event featuring junior players from around the world.

“With all things considered, we believe the move is the best option in order to avoid any possible complexities linked to travel and other lingering Covid-19-related impacts,” added Lund.

Sharing his sentiment is the Badminton New Zealand chief executive, Joe Hitchcock, who is confident that players and supporters will have an unforgettable experience when the tournament take places in January next year.

“At the moment, the uncertainty of the global situation is challenging but we will work closely with the BWF and our event partners on plans for a rescheduled event, and we fully understand that we are guided by New Zealand government regulations and international border control measures.

“When the time is right, we will welcome the world's best young badminton talent to Auckland because we know that teams travelling to New Zealand will have the experience of a lifetime,” said Hitchcock.

Prior to this, BWF has postponed both tournaments due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.