The Badminton World Federation is on good terms with the Chinese government supports this sports discipline and has many outstanding athletes competing in the pro circuit. However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country did not host any international events. Two years later, the international badminton tournament World Tour Finals is returning to China.
The Chinese side is ready to welcome badminton players
The event will be held in Guangzhou from December 14 to December 18 with the top 8 players and top 8 pairs competing for a massive $1.5 million prize pool. The BWF was looking for a country that could host this prestigious event that would be handing out the biggest prize in its history. The Chinese government was ready to extend an invitation which is quite interesting considering the gargantuan effort from authorities to reach the dream of a “zero COVID” environment as soon as possible.
On the other hand, the secretary of the BWF Thomas Lund said that China won’t be able to host two international events that were initially discussed. Another international competition was supposed to be held in Fuzhou later this year, but it is now canceled alongside the Hong Kong Open that was scheduled for November this year.
The finals of the World Tour are relocated from China due to the strict “zero COVID” policy that prevented many international events from being hosted by this nation. It is the first time since 2019 that badminton players will step on Chinese soil!
The event will be significantly limited
The Chinese government is still battling the pandemic and has implemented strict rules to ensure that the Omicron variant is not spreading among its citizens. Some of the measures implemented by officials are quite oppressive and may prevent thousands of tourists from visiting international events. Even locals may be forbidden from attending. Hopefully, we will see broadcasts of games and at least some live audience.
China regularly hosts international competitions in many disciplines often overlooked by other nations. Badminton and table tennis are the two most obvious examples.
