Hong Kong’s top badminton tournament has been cancelled because of stringent anti-Covid policies that required players to compete in an “isolation bubble”, organisers said on Thursday.
As well, the World Athletics Indoor Championships, scheduled to be held in Nanjing from March 17-19 next year, have been postponed for a second time due to uncertainty about Covid in mainland China. The sport’s governing body said Nanjing might get another chance to hold the event in 2025.
The Hong Kong Open badminton tournament, scheduled for Nov 8-13, has not been held since the pandemic began and the latest announcement dealt a fresh blow to the city’s ambitions to reboot its decimated sports scene.
The Macau Open badminton tournament at the start of November was also cancelled on Thursday because of Covid.
The Hong Kong Badminton Association said there was “no viable option” but to cancel because the city’s anti-epidemic measures — which follow China’s zero-Covid strategy — differed from those of other BWF World Tour events.
Local policies would mean that “over 400 overseas players/officials are required to train and compete for eight to 10 days in the form of isolation bubble”, the association said.
Hong Kong officials have given the green light to the Hong Kong Masters snooker in October and the Rugby Sevens in November, with both required to take place in a Beijing Olympics-style “closed loop” bubble for athletes.
The arrangements mean players will be separated from the community and cannot venture beyond the competition site and their accommodation.
Hong Kong on Thursday reported more than 10,000 new infections, passing a threshold that health officials earlier warned could trigger a return of more stringent anti-Covid measures.
Mainland China reported 2,057 new Covid cases in the previous 24 hours, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.
World Athletics on Thursday expressed disappointment that its indoor event would have to be put off again.
Nanjing was initially selected to host the 2020 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which were first postponed until March 2021, and then to March 2023, as the pandemic continued.
“We’re disappointed that we have had to postpone this event again due to circumstances beyond our control, but we have done so to give certainty to athletes and member federations preparing for the 2023 competition season,” said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
“Unfortunately, the timeframe will prevent us from relocating the 2023 event, but the indoor championships will return in 2024 in Glasgow.
“We have offered Nanjing the 2025 edition because we are mindful of the substantial preparations the (local organising committee) has already done to host the event and we want to avoid potential financial losses for all parties,” he added.
