Wednesday, 13 Nov 2024

BWF News: Rankings Frozen Due to COVID-19

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has decided to freeze World Rankings and World Junior Rankings until further notice, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This decision comes in response to the unprecedented suspension of international tournaments from mid-March 2020 to the end of April 2020.

Ensuring Fairness and Stability

In order to ensure fairness and stability within the badminton community, the BWF will backdate the freezing of rankings to Week 12, following the last international tournament that was played – the YONEX All England Open 2020. The ranking lists issued on March 17, 2020, will serve as the basis for entry and seeding into future international tournaments.

Uncertainty Surrounding Resumption of Tournaments

The BWF acknowledges the difficulties in predicting when the next international tournament will take place and expects further suspensions in May and June. As a result, the process of unfreezing the rankings cannot be outlined until there is a clearer overview of the international calendar once play resumes and suspended tournaments have been rescheduled.

Collaborating with Athletes’ Commission

The BWF is closely working with the Athletes’ Commission to address the impacts of the COVID-19 situation on players. The Athletes’ Commission fully supports the freezing of the BWF World Ranking lists and recognizes that the procedure for unfreezing the rankings will need to be determined based on more precise tournament calendar information.

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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Review

Following the rescheduling of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to July 2021, the BWF will initiate a review process to assess any impacts on the Olympic qualification system. This review process will take several weeks, and the BWF will announce any further updates once all circumstances have been carefully considered.

Conclusion

As the badminton community navigates through uncertain times, the BWF remains committed to ensuring a fair and informed resumption of international tournaments. The freezing of rankings aims to maintain stability within the sport and prevent any extreme drop off of points from previous tournaments. More information on rescheduled tournaments and the unfreezing of rankings will be communicated in the upcoming weeks.

FAQs

1. How long will the rankings be frozen for?
The rankings will be frozen until further notice. The BWF will provide updates on the unfreezing process in due course.

2. Will the freezing of rankings affect the Olympic qualification system?
No, the consequences of freezing the World Rankings will not apply to the Olympic qualification system. The BWF will conduct a separate review process to assess any impacts on Olympic qualification.

3. How will the BWF ensure fairness when unfreezing the rankings?
The BWF aims to define a solution to unfreeze the rankings in a staggered way, avoiding any extreme drop off of points from previous tournaments that could significantly impact the ranking structure.

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