India Open 2021 postponed due to COVID-19 conditions!
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New Delhi, April 20: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has announced that the upcoming India Open 2021 has been postponed due to the upsurge in coronavirus cases here in the national capital. India Open is classified as BWF World Tour Super 500 event and is one of the last few qualification events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
BAI General Secretary Ajay Singhania said, "After consulting BWF we have decided to postpone the India Open 2021 due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in Delhi and a new week-long lockdown which will be in effect from 10 pm today. The situation is not suitable to organize the tournament. It is sad that this tournament is getting cancelled for the second time. We are sure that we will host this tournament whenever the situation gets better."
"Considering the current challenges, BAI is left with no option but to announce the postponement of the tournament for the time being. We had an entry of 228 players and close to 300 people gathering including coaches, support staff and officials and the circumstances are such that the 2021 edition of the Yonex-Sunrise India Open seems, for now, a very risky affair," he added.
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Badminton World Federation (BWF) also issued a statement and said, "The decision was made in consultation and collaboration with local health authorities in Delhi and the Badminton World Federation.All attempts were made by organisers to conduct a safe tournament environment for all participants, but the recent spike in COVID-19 cases and gravity of the situation in Delhi left BAI no choice but to postpone the tournament," it added.
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The tournament was to be conducted behind closed doors at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi from May 11-16. Earlier in the day, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced that after reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the national capital with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal it has been decided that it is important to impose a lockdown in Delhi, from 10 pm on Monday night to 5 am next Monday (April 26), for six days.