PETALING JAYA, 25 Sept – The Asian leg of the adjusted HSBC BWF World Tour 2020 will now take place in Bangkok, Thailand in January next year.

It will feature two Super1000 tournaments, culminating with the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals.

The decision was announced at a BWF Council meeting on Thursday evening, and this means the 2020 season will now finish in January 2021.

Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Association of Thailand, in collaboration with the Government of Thailand, completed a feasibility study to ensure all parties can provide a safe Covid-19 framework to stage the three tournaments.

The study concluded Thailand to be the agreed host of the three-tournament Asian leg.

BWF greatly appreciates the cooperation of the Badminton Association of Thailand and the support and contribution of the Government of Thailand in committing to this important step as part of the restart of international badminton tournaments.

Tournament Schedule

• Asia Open I (Super 1000) – 12-17 January 2021
• Asia Open II (Super 1000) – 19-24 January 2021
• HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2020 – 27-31 January 2021

It was agreed by the BWF Council that staging the Asian leg in November as originally planned was no longer a viable option in being able to guarantee the highest standard of tournament including securing all logistical arrangements for players and participants.

The January dates provide BWF with the best possible opportunity to resume and complete the HSBC BWF World Tour for 2020 as part of its return to international badminton.

The three Asian leg tournaments now sit alongside the DANISA Denmark Open 2020 (13-18 October) in forming the conclusion to the new-look HSBC World Tour 2020 calendar.

BWF will publish detailed tournament information such as safety protocols and operating procedures, plus impacts upon World Rankings and next season’s BWF Tournament Calendar at a later date.

PETALING JAYA, 25 Sept – The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) today announced that the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 will be held from 11 April to 8 May next year following the postponement of the tournament this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This latest decision has been taken with a firm intention to stage the Championship in its full format – played on a home and away basis across the qualifying nations in South East Asia – provided that the conditions relating to Covid-19 allows.

In consultation with the region’s Football Federations and other relevant authorities, the AFF Suzuki Cup Task Force Committee has determined that the above dates work best to accommodate the domestic football schedules, and will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety and well-being of all players, coaches, partners, fans and the public.

“We are delighted with the positive support that we have had from our member associations and that we have been able to find a suitable window next year to hold our most highly anticipated tournament.

“While we are well aware that the fight against the global pandemic is not over, we are cautiously optimistic for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 to take place in its full format as we hope to deliver the best of ASEAN in the tournament next year,” said AFF President, Major General Khiev Sameth.

“The AFF also hopes that the announcement of the 2021 tournament dates will provide some clarity in planning for our commercial partners, including sponsors and media broadcasters, at a time of uncertainty.

“AFF and our member associations would like to express gratitude to all our fans, players, coaches, officials, media and other partners for their unwavering support and commitment despite these challenging times, and look forward to the AFF Suzuki Cup unifying the whole of South East Asia when we are able to come together again.”

Meanwhile, Sportfive Managing Director South East Asia, Malcolm Thorpe said that they are glad to work out the new tournament dates for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 with the relevant stakeholders.

“We are excited to continue to work with our partners on their sponsorships, campaigns and activation plans as we get ready to bring football back to the fans of ASEAN.”

Sportfive is the exclusive commercial partner of the AFF Suzuki Cup.

Originally scheduled to take place in November and December this year, the AFF Suzuki Cup is the largest and most prestigious football tournament in South East Asia and is set to see the national ‘A’ teams of the region competing for the Championship title.

The AFF will continue to work closely with the various member associations and partners to provide further updates on the 2021 tournament as soon as available.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND, 24 Sept – Due to the global Covid19 pandemic still going on, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the Belgian Hockey Association have jointly decided to postpone the upcoming FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup – initially scheduled to be played in February 2021 to 2-6 February 2022, in order to maximise the athletes’ and fans’ experience.

FIH CEO Thierry Weil stated in a statement today: “The FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup is a great hockey spectacle which generates a fantastic atmosphere. With the current major uncertainties which we are facing – such as the ability of all teams to travel, the completion of all continental qualifiers or the access of fans to the venue – and in order to protect the health of everyone involved, a postponement was the only option to go for. Our thanks go to the Belgian Hockey Association and the Province of Liege for their great commitment to put together an amazing show in 2022.”

Hockey Belgium CEO Serge Pilet added: “In coordination with the Province of Liège, we are convinced that this is the wisest decision in regards to the actual health situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s hope this postponement will enable us to organise a superb event in Liège’s magnificent Country Hall, in ideal conditions. But first, let’s try to put the pandemic behind us.”

It will be the sixth edition of the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup. The showpiece event will see 12 teams competing in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Austria men and Germany women won the last FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup events that took place in 2018 in Berlin, Germany.