Kyiv will host the 2021 European Championships – 2020 European Championships cancelled
After thorough consideration, the Badminton Europe Confederation together with the Ukrainian Badminton Federation, have decided to cancel the 2020 European Championship.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown in several countries forced the organizers to postpone the event, however, due to the still unstable situation throughout Europe, and the already packed tournament calendar in the end of the year, it was impossible for the organizers to set new suitable dates in 2020.
New dates confirmed
Although the cancellation may have been discouraging for the hosts, the decision made will surely suit them, as well as all the players and fans who have made plans to visit Kyiv, as the 2021 European Championships organization has been allocated to the Ukrainian Badminton Federation. The 2021 European Championships will be played in Kyiv, from the 27th of April until the 2nd of May, 2021.
As per last week’s BWF announcement, the European Championships will be the last tournament counting for the Olympic Qualification. So, this event is definitely worth seeing as the best European players will be competing in Kyiv for those few extra points that will get them to Tokyo. Taking this into consideration, the UBF president, Oleksii Dniprov, agrees that the decision made is the best one for everyone:
- In a close cooperation with our partners we took the decision that the best solution is to host the European Championships in Kyiv, in April 2021. Our goal is to organize the best championships and our team is working hard to make it real. That’s why we want to be sure that spectators will have the opportunity to attend. I have the honour to invite all the badminton fans from all the world to Kyiv in April 2021!, Dniprov stated.
Thankful for Ukraine’s involvement
In April 2019 the Ukrainian Badminton Federation hosted the BEC Congress in Kyiv, a very successful event for the local hosts and the congress participants, which made us eager to go back to Kyiv with an event. The postponement has most likely disappointed a lot of people, however, now that we know we are going back next year, we are really looking forward to enjoying the event.
- I am pleased that we will have the opportunity of taking Europe’s best players to Kyiv in 2021, now when the Covid-19 situation did not allow us in 2020. The Ukrainian Badminton Federation has worked hard with the preparations for making the event successful, so I am grateful to Oleksii Dniprov and his team for being persistent, wanting to organize in 2021 instead, Peter Tarcala, President of BEC, stated.
- There is no doubt that the players and the travelling fans shall look forward to visiting Kyiv next year. They will visit a beautiful city and they will be welcomed by hospitable hosts. It will surely be a great event, so we will start the countdown today already, Tarcala added.
The allocation of the 2021 European Championships to Ukraine was announced to the Ukrainian badminton community by BEC President Peter Tarcala on Thursday evening when he joined a live interview with Ukrainian media.