Teams from China and Hong Kong China have been confirmed non-participants in the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2020 starting in Manila, Philippines, today.

Badminton Asia (BA), Philippines Badminton Association (PBA), and the Badminton World Federation (BWF) have been working around the clock in the past week to secure visa approval for players and officials from these countries.

The decision of the Philippine government to impose a 14-day quarantine period for any athletes from China, Hong Kong China, and Macau China entering Philippines meant participation was not possible.

This decision is fully respected and supported by all parties in view of the health and safety of the Philippine government for its people.

This came after the Philippine Government initially imposed a temporary ban for all travellers from China, Hong Kong China, and Macau China entering the country.

As a result, a redraw of the men’s team championships took place on Monday afternoon in Manila. This was unavoidable as China and Hong Kong China were in the same group (Group B) alongside Thailand.

The new groupings are as follows:

Group A – Indonesia, Korea

Group B – Japan, Thailand

Group C – India, Malaysia, Kazakhstan

Group D – Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Philippines

All four teams in Group A and Group B will progress automatically to the quarterfinals, while the top two in each of Group C and D will also qualify.

BWF acknowledges the implications of the non-participation of China and Hong Kong China upon team qualification for the TOTAL BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2020, as well as individual ranking points for the Race to Tokyo Olympic qualification process.

However, no concrete decisions have yet been made in response to these implications. BWF will continue to monitor all official developments on the coronavirus situation and work with Badminton Asia and all Member Associations to provide the necessary support and information to affected parties.

At this time, the health, safety and wellbeing of the entire badminton community is paramount.

India’s women’s team voluntarily withdrew from the Badminton Asia Team Championships on Saturday “owing to concerns showed by parents and players”. The Indian men’s team is still competing.

The Badminton Asia Team Championships is a qualifier for the TOTAL BWF Thomas & Uber Cups 2020, with teams reaching the semifinals gaining automatic passage to Aarhus (May 16-24).