Asian Leg in Bangkok: Charting New Territory
History is set to unfold in Bangkok in January 2021, with all the marquee names of badminton set to joust at the three-tournament Asian Leg of the HSBC BWF World Tour.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The three-tournament cluster, to be held within a bubble under strict health and safety protocols, consists of the YONEX Thailand Open (12-17 January), the TOYOTA Thailand Open (19-24 January), and the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2020 (27-31 January), which will wrap up the 2020 season.
It will be the first time that such a cluster of three premier tournaments is being held in a single city; coming after a season which saw the cancellation or postponement of a number of events, it will mean long-awaited deliverance for all those who were missing the thrill of high-level competition.
Early this year, for the first time in their lives, most of the world’s best players spent prolonged spells away from the court; with the gradual easing of lockdowns in their respective countries, they returned to training but only a few among them were able to participate in international competition.