THREE Asian badminton tournaments have been cancelled due to coronavirus-related disruptions, officials said, in the latest overhaul of the sport’s calendar. 

They include the Korea Open, due to take place late this month and September, and the Macau Open in November, said the governing body, the Badminton World Federation (BWF). 

The Korea Masters has also been axed, after earlier being postponed from dates in June.

“The ongoing Covid-19 restrictions and complications left local organisers no choice but to cancel the tournaments,” the BWF said in a statement.

The pandemic threw the badminton calendar into chaos in 2020, but international competitions had been getting back on their feet. 

However, new outbreaks driven by the highly contagious Delta variant in Asia, coupled with slow vaccine rollouts, are continuing to cause problems in the region. – AFP, August 11, 2021.