New Delhi: A busy international calendar has forced the Badminton Association of India (BAI) to postpone the second edition of the lucrative Indian Badminton League (IBL) that is scheduled for September-October.
The BAI is contemplating to host the IBL early next year since some of the top shuttlers would otherwise skip the second edition due to the Denmark Open Super Series which is coinciding with the league’s September-October schedule.
The second edition of the IBL was slated for Sep 30-Oct 15 while the Denmark Open will be held Oct 14-19.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has re-organised the 2015 calendar giving shuttlers a two-month break to rejuvenate at the start of the year. And BAI is planning to slot the IBL in January-February.
The IBL was held last year Aug 15-31 but this year it was pushed back due to the Commonwealth Games (July 21-Aug 4), World Championships (Aug 25-31) and the Asian Games (Sep 19-29).
“The first edition of the IBL was a grand success and badminton lovers are eagerly awaiting the second season. However, we want to ensure that all the top players are available for the tournament and that looks difficult this year due to the busy international schedule,” said T.P.S. Puri, BAI vice president.
“Though a final call is yet to be taken, we are considering the option of holding the tournament early next year,” he added.