The sixth season of the Premier Badminton League has been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The league was initially scheduled to take place in the last week of December in India. However, it has been pushed back due to international travel restrictions which are still in place and the safety of stakeholders involved.
But with the sporting world gradually returning to normalcy, the organisers are looking to roll out the season next year and fresh dates are being worked.
The decision to postpone the sixth season was taken by SportzLive, the official license holder of the league under the aegis of the national sports federation, in consultation with the Badminton Association of India.
“The usual window for PBL is December end – January. This year, as the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic we have been monitoring the situation closely. Health & Safety of all is of paramount importance, hence, carefully considering all guidelines, protocols and commitments, and post discussions with BAI, we have decided to rework fresh dates for 2021,” said Prasad Mangipudi, MD SportzLive.
“With the cases on the rise again and the second wave hitting the country, it is pertinent that we adhere to the Covid-19 advisory issued by the Health Ministry. However, with the recent announcement of the vaccine, we are optimistic that the economy shall improve and things shall return to normalcy including international travel soon. The league meanwhile plans to introduce grassroots as well as other badminton activities in order to bring back the badminton actions ahead of the next season,” Mangipudi further added.
PBL is amongst one of the highest prize money tournaments in the badminton world and has witnessed the participation of many Top-10 players over the past five years.
