The Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Friday announced the rescheduling of the BWF World Championships 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The event, initially scheduled to take place in August 2021, will now take place from November 29 to December 5 in Huelva, Spain.
The decision to reschedule the BWF World Championships has been taken to allow the tournament to "shine brightly" in what will be a condensed sports calendar.
"The Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Spsh Badminton Federation (FESBA) can confirm the BWF World Championships traditionally scheduled for August 2021 will now take place at the end of 2021 from Monday 29 November to Sunday 5 December," BWF said in a statement.
BWF also said that the new schedule will allow players to have a "clear focus" for 2021 in which they will have "dual objectives" of both the Olympic Games and World Championships.
BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer said the rescheduling of the event will allow both the Olympic badminton competition and the World Championships to be conducted with equal fairness for everyone.
"BWF and Spsh Badminton Federation are confident that the rescheduled championships will be a success. The move allows both the Olympic badminton competition and the World Championships to be conducted with equal fairness for everyone," Hoyer said.
On the other hand, FESBA President David Cabello said: "We hope the World Championships in Huelva will be a special occasion for badminton in Spain and the world. We are satisfied that moving the championships to the end of the year will allow us to deliver the best tournament possible,"
BWF also stated that the remainder of the 2021 BWF Tournament Calendar is yet to be finalised. The World Championships will take place in the Carolina Marin Stadium, the arena named after the three-time world champion in her native city of Huelva.
( With inputs from ANI )