Singapore badminton c'ships postponed over SARS scare

Singapore badminton c'ships postponed over SARS scare

Agence France-Presse, Singapore

This year's Singapore Open badminton tournament scheduled from June 16-22 has been postponed because of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) health scare, organizers said on Tuesday.

The announcement by the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) could also lead to the postponement of the Indonesian and Malaysian legs of the grand prix series scheduled to take place after the Singapore event.

It follows the scrapping of the May 12-18 world badminton championships in the English city of Birmingham -- where dozens of Asian players were among those scheduled to take part -- because of SARS.

SARS is thought to have originated in rural China and has been most devastating in Asia, which accounts for most of the more than 640 fatalities out of nearly 8,000 cases.

SBA said in a statement it decided to voluntarily postpone the tournament ahead of a decision by the International Badminton Federation (IBF) in early June on the fate of the Southeast Asian grand prix.

Steven Yeo, SBA secretary general, said the association was aware of the constraints faced by the IBF in making a decision and its move to voluntarily postpone the event would avoid any inconvenience to players, sponsors, volunteers and other persons involved.

He said the decision to defer the Singapore Open was made after discussions with SBA's counterparts in Indonesia and Malaysia which have yet to make a public announcement.

"After discussing with our Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts, we have put forth alternative dates to the IBF," he said without giving out the proposed dates.