Badminton World Championships to be rescheduled amid Olympic clash

The BWF had earlier called off all tournaments post the All England Championships until April 12 due to the pandemic.

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The Badminton World Championships next year are set to be rescheduled because of a clash with the new dates for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) said it was working with organisers in Spain's Huelva to find a new time slot, after the 2020 Olympics were postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.

It is not yet clear whether the World Championships will be held in 2021 or delayed until 2022.

"The BWF is aware of the need to reschedule the 2021 World Championships normally staged in August, with suitable alternatives being discussed with hosts Spain," the BWF said in a statement.

The postponement of the Olympic Games has caused widespread disruption to the sporting calendar in 2021. World Athletics has already confirmed it will push back its World Championships to 2022, while the World Aquatics Championships could also be delayed by a year.

Earlier in the week, the Badminton World Federation froze the world rankings, saying standings as on March 17 will be the basis for entry and seedings when it begins as the international calendar has been thrown in choppy waters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BWF had called off all tournaments post the All England Championships until April 12 due to the pandemic. BWF further said due to the current scenario, the next tournaments will also be suspended.