appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Chan Kin-wa

Hong Kong badminton has been given a second chance for Olympic qualification at the 2021 Asia Team Championships after world governing body announced a revamped race to Tokyo on Wednesday.
With the 2020 Games pushed back to next summer due to the pandemic outbreak, an extended Olympic qualification period will be introduced in 2021 from week 1-17, including the tournaments that were postponed, cancelled or suspended since March this year.
Those eligible tournaments within the new qualifying period must be completed by May 2, 2021 before the governing body announces the qualified athletes two days later.

In addition, only players from Hong Kong and China will be awarded qualification points from next year’s Asian team event as the two member associations were not able to participate in the 2020 event in Manila.
Europe the way to go after Philippines shuts door on Hong Kong team
The 2020 Asia Team Championships were scheduled to take place in Wuhan, China in February but were moved to the Philippines after the coronavirus outbreak in the Central China city in January. However, players from these two teams could not take part due to travel restrictions imposed by the Philippines government.
“It’s fair because we can have the chance to regain points from the regional tournament after being forced to miss the tournament this year,” said Hong Kong Sports Institute head coach Tim He Yiming. “But world powerhouses China were also not there this year, giving other regional teams an easier chance to secure more points while this will not happen in 2021.
“But you can’t complain any more as this is probably the best they can offer. All we can do is prepare our players well so that we can get a good result from it.”

Hong Kong number one Angus Ng Ka-long is in the driving seat for his ticket to Tokyo with a number eight position in the qualifying list but compatriot Lee Cheuk-yiu is still striving to become the second representative from Hong Kong.
A team can send two players in the singles events provided both are in the top 16. Lee, the 2019 Hong Kong Open champion, is 18th.
“He definitely has the chance to join Ng for Tokyo,” said the coach. “Lee is young and has plenty of room for improvement. The delay of the Tokyo Games would give him more learning opportunities through competitions in the latter part of the year. But, of course, the competition will also be fierce and he has to take every opportunity that comes his way.”
Hong Kong fans should be praised for supporting badminton ace Lee Cheuk-yiu
Another top player vying for a ticket to Tokyo is Lin Dan of China. The two-time Olympic champion is currently 26th but already there are four mainlanders ahead of him in the queue, including defending Olympic champion Chen Long, the world number five and Shi Yuqi, the world number 11, both are in the top 16.
The world ranking list has been frozen upon completion of the All England Open in mid March and the Taipei Open in September will be the first tournament under a revamped schedule. But all tournaments in the remaining year will not be counted towards the qualifiers.

The world body said the priority is to ensure a fair solution to the disrupted qualification system in order to qualify players for the postponed Games. “It has been a thorough process with the close and valuable consultation of the Athletes’ Commission to consider how best to make adjustments to the qualification system,” said BWF secretary general Thomas Lund. “Although we aim to resume international tournaments towards the end of 2020, we have chosen to resume the Olympic qualification only in 2021 to ensure that travel restrictions and other related impacts of Covid-19 are limited.”
Some key tournaments in the extended qualifiers will be Malaysia Open, Singapore Open, India Open, German Open and Swiss Open.

Help us understand what you are interested in so that we can improve SCMP and provide a better experience for you. We would like to invite you to take this five-minute survey on how you engage with SCMP and the news.



China make late change as they target 7 badminton gold medals at Asian Games

New China badminton chief vows to fight corruption, ‘purge chaos’ after predecessor removed

Badminton star An Se-young claims hat-trick of China Masters titles ahead of Asian Games

Gunawan claims China Masters, beaten Lee hails ‘best day’ in Hong Kong badminton history

Badminton World Federation (BWF)

Pandemic hands Hong Kong shuttlers second shot at Tokyo qualification as Asia Team Championships included in extended Olympic qualifiers

Lee Cheuk-yiu, the 2019 Hong Kong Open singles champion, still has a chance to join teammate Angus Ng Ka-long to the 2020 Tokyo after an extended Olympic qualifying period announced. Photo: Kelly Ho

Tim He Yiming (L2), head coach of Hong Kong badminton team, pose in a group photo. Pictured first on the left is assistant coach Choong Tan-fook. credit: SCMP Pictures (HANDOUT)

(191106) -- FUZHOU, Nov. 6, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Lin Dan of China competes during the men's singles first round match between Chen Long of China and Lin Dan of China at the Fuzhou China Open 2019 in Fuzhou, south China's Fujian Province, Nov. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long hits a shot against China's Shi Yuqi in their singles match during the quarterfinal of the men's team badminton event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on August 20, 2018. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP)

BWF players braced for hectic schedule as world badminton plans September return

Angus Ng will need a super strong physique to cope with the revamped world tour after disruptions made by the pandemic. Photo: AFP

epa07878611 Kinto Momota of Japan celebrates after defeating Tien Chen Chou of Chinese Taipei in the Men's Singles Finals match of the Korea Open 2019 badminton championships in Incheon, South Korea, 29 September 2019. EPA-EFE/JEON HEON-KYUN

Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan serves to Chen Yu Fei of China during the Women's Singles final match at the All England Open Badminton tournament in Birmingham, England, Sunday, March 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Badminton plasyer Angus Ng Ka-long enjoys the novel experience of spending a six-week training under a closed environment at Hong Kong SPorts Institute.

Coronavirus: Hong Kong badminton stars face being barred from next week’s Asia Team Championships in Manila

Lee Cheuk-yiu is still working hard on his Olympic qualification after winning the Hong Kong Open in November. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Silver medallists Hong Kong's Tang Chun Man (L) and Tse Ying Suet (R) celebrate during the victory ceremony of the mixed doubles badminton event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on August 27, 2018. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP)

(191113) -- HONG KONG, Nov. 13, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong of China competes during the men's singles 1st round match against Ginting Anthony Sinisuka of Indonesia at the BWF Hong Kong Open 2019 badminton tournament in Hong Kong, China, Nov. 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

Tim He Yiming (right), head coach of Hong Kong badminton team, chats with assistant coach Choong Tan-fook. credit: SCMP Pictures (HANDOUT)

Coronavirus blamed as Hong Kong badminton team fail to reach Thomas and Uber Cup finals

Top player Angus Ng will not play for Hong Kong at the Thomas Cup in Denmark in May. Photo: AFP

Lee Cheuk-yiu celebrates the win after defeating Indonesia's Anthony Ginting at the final match of men's single of Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open at Hong Kong Coliseum. 18NOV19

Coronavirus: Taiwan badminton team’s training partner infected after Europe trip

Lee Cheuk-yiu misses an Olympic spot after he was forced to miss the Asia Team Championships in Manila because of the coronavirus. Photo: Kelly Ho

Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan serves to Chen Yu Fei of China during the Women's Singles final match at the All England Open Badminton tournament in Birmingham, England, Sunday, March 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen returns against Denmark's Viktor Axelsen (unseen) during their All England Open Badminton Championships men's singles final match in Birmingham, central England, on March 15, 2020. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

Tokyo 2020: should badminton legend Lin Dan retire with little hope of reaching a fifth Olympics?

Lin Dan is finding the going tough and is not the same player he used to be. Photo: Xinhua

(190424) -- WUHAN, April 24, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Lin Dan of China competes during a mens' singles match against Lu Chai Hung of Chinese Taipei at the BWF Badminton Asia Championships 2019 in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, China, on April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)

Badminton - Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships - Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, Britain - March 16, 2018 China's Lin Dan celebrates victory in the men's singles quarter final Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Sport

Hong Kong

Other Sport


Hong Kong and China failed to take part this year after travel restrictions by hosts Philippines
World body adds tournaments from week 1 to 17 next year into qualifiers



Hong Kong and China failed to take part this year after travel restrictions by hosts Philippines.


Angus Ng Ka-long

Hong Kong Sports Institute

Lin Dan

Pandemic hands Hong Kong shuttlers second shot at Tokyo qualification as Asia Team Championships included in extended Olympic qualifiers

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Hong Kong and China failed to take part this year after travel restrictions by hosts Philippines World body adds tournaments from week 1 to 17 next year into qualifiers

Hong Kong and China failed to take part this year after travel restrictions by hosts Philippines

World body adds tournaments from week 1 to 17 next year into qualifiers