Shanghai: Even as several top stars, including Saina Nehwal, have been seeking extension of time for Olympic qualification, next month's Badminton Asia Championships have been moved out of Wuhan, epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, to the Philippine capital Manila, officials said on Wednesday.
Numerous sports events have been cancelled, postponed or moved in recent weeks all over the world because of the deadly virus.
China, where the virus emerged in December and where more than 2,900 people have died, has been hardest hit with all sports stopped.
The Asia Championships will be staged in Manila on April 21-26.
"Badminton Asia (BA) together with Philippine Badminton Association has been working closely to ensure visa approval for player and officials' entry into Manila for all participants in this important and prestigious Championship," BA said in a statement.
The coronavirus has forced the postponement or cancellation of several badminton tournaments, disrupting the build-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
