China News Service, May 28th, May 27th, Beijing time, the World Badminton Federation announced a new plan for the qualification of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games badminton points.
According to the new plan, the athletes ’previous Olympic points will be retained. At the same time, some events in the 17 weeks before 2021 will be added to the Olympic qualifying events. Athletes can compete for Olympic points in these events.
The International Badminton Federation said that the current priority is to ensure a fair resolution of the eligibility for points affected by the epidemic in order to provide players with fair competition eligibility for postponed matches. Both the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee approved the amendment.
Thomas Lund, Secretary General of the World Badminton Federation, said: "After close consultation with the Athlete Committee, it is a tedious process to consider how best to adjust the qualification system for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"We believe that this is a fair solution for all athletes. As part of the badminton project adjustment and return after the outbreak, holding these competitions will be our top priority."
"Although our goal is to resume international competitions by the end of 2020, we tend to choose to resume the Olympic and Paralympic Points Qualifications only in 2021 to ensure that the impact of the epidemic and international traffic restrictions are minimized."
In addition, due to the epidemic situation, the Chinese team and the Hong Kong team of China failed to participate in the 2020 Asian Badminton Team Championship. These players can earn Olympic points in the 2021 Asian Badminton Team Championship.
In terms of the Paralympic Games, only one integral game of the Spanish Disabled Persons International Badminton Championship in 2020 was cancelled due to the impact of the new crown epidemic. Its new schedule will be announced later. Athletes will retain the points they have earned.
The World Badminton Federation is still working on an accurate model for thawing the world rankings in a staggered manner to avoid any extreme drop in scores that may affect the ranking structure. The new plan also has ongoing considerations regarding the rules for mandatory player competition and other aspects of the World Badminton Tournament Rules, including the holding of international competitions in the safest and most comfortable way for all participants. (Finish)