The Singapore Open badminton championships has been called off.
On 12 May, the organisers – Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) and Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced that they had both “jointly agreed to cancel the Singapore Badminton Open 2021 scheduled for 1 – 6 June 2021.”
The announcement was made on the Facebook page of the Singapore Badminton Association.
“All attempts were made by SBA and BWF to provide a safe tournament environment for all participants.
“However, the rising COVID-19 cases globally would lead to complex challenges in managing inbound travel.
“Thus, in the interest of our players and the local community’s health and safety, the event has to be cancelled.”
The $426,000 tournament, meant to be a will not be rescheduled, and was meant to be a qualifier for the Olympics.
Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, ranked 42nd in the world, told the Straits Times that “the decision is in the best interest of everyone.
“I was hoping to get some court time ahead of the Olympics and compete with the other players and see where I currently stand against them, but I think safety is the priority now.
“The lack of competition is frustrating but we can only continue to work with our coaches to fine-tune and improve, and be prepared for what comes next.”
Photo: BWF
