NEW DELHI: The BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2023 is scheduled to be held in Suzhou, China. But there's a possibility that India could be hosting the World Mixed Team competition instead. It is reliably learnt that the Badminton Association of India (BAI) is interested in conducting the event, scheduled to be held from May 14 to 21, in case China plans to pull out due to Covid-related issues.
It is understood that the Badminton World Federation (BWF) wants to explore and keep alternate venue options open if such a situation arises.
The BWF will also go through the final entry list of the upcoming Ruichang China Masters 2023, a BWF Tour Super 100 event scheduled to be held before the Sudirman Cup. The number of entries for that event could give the world body an indication of how many countries are willing to travel to China. The entry deadline for the China Masters is February 7.
It should be noted though that nothing is finalised yet. "We are interested and there's a good chance that we'll be hosting it. We are hopeful. But I have to tell you that it is yet to be confirmed," a BAI official told this newspaper when queried about the talks behind the scenes.
The Sudirman Cup, which has been part of the calendar since its inception in 1989, is a massive event and if India happens to get the opportunity to host the same, it will be a first for the country.The BAI has been proactive in recent years and is looking to bring in as many international events as possible for shuttlers from the country to get much-needed exposure.
Indian shuttlers, who are among top 20 in the BWF rankings as on April 4, will be considered for selection. The performances of the players during the upcoming senior national championships (February 22-28) in Pune will also be taken into the equation. The BAI selection committee is scheduled to meet in the first week of April to finalise the team.
If China manages to conduct the event, then BAI could set its target on the BWF World Junior Championships, which is set to be held in the USA in October according to the BWF calendar.