2020 Scottish Open cancelled due to Covid 19

Badminton Scotland and the City of Glasgow regret to announce that the 2020 Scottish Open Badminton Championships will not go ahead.

The decision has been taken due to the ongoing situation caused by Covid 19 and Badminton Scotland CEO Keith Russell said: “With so much uncertainty caused by the ongoing pandemic, we felt we had no other option than to cancel this year’s Scottish Open.

“Although we are hopeful that we will be able to get back to playing indoor badminton socially in the relatively near future, we have received no indication as to when mass gatherings or competitions may once again be allowed indoors in Scotland.

“Added to this is the risk of quarantines being announced at short notice, potentially preventing athletes from travelling.

“The risks associated with the event are too significant to make staging the Scottish Open a realistic possibility and in order to avoid any financial obligations, as well as to give some certainty to our players, coaches, officials and volunteers, we have taken the decision to make this announcement now, rather than waiting until closer to the time.”

The Scottish Open, which was due to be held from 19-22 November at the Emirates Arena, traditionally welcomes elite badminton players from all over the world to Glasgow but it is much more than simply an international tournament.

It combines a high performance tournament with a festival of badminton including participation events like the Play Badminton Festivals, which encourage thousands of Scottish schoolchildren to have a go at badminton before being given the opportunity to support Scotland’s stars as they take on the world in the main arena.

Russell continued: “Although the tournament itself is the main event and one of the best on the European calendar, the surrounding activities give the Scottish Open its unique flavour.

“We would be unable to host the Play Badminton Festivals or the National Coaching Conference in conjunction with this year’s event and the likelihood of having to play behind closed doors means Scottish fans wouldn’t be able to watch live badminton.

“In short, we would be unable to use the event to engage with our members and stakeholders in the way we would like and this, added to the significant risks and increases in financial outlay which would be required to satisfy social distancing requirements, left us with no choice but to take the difficult decision to cancel.”

The Scottish Open will return to Glasgow in 2021, with specific dates still to be confirmed.

For further information contact Badminton Scotland’s Head of Events Peter Dean on 07923 229560 or email peter@badmintonscotland.org.uk