Kuala Lumpur, Jan 3 (IANS): The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has submitted a letter to International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to have para-badminton considered for inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, becoming the first international federation to do so.
BWF had also bid for the 2016 Rio Paralympics but was unsuccessful as canoeing and triathlon got their nod.
“Our preparations are well underway for this application process and since our letter of intent was ready, we felt this was the appropriate time to present it to the IPC,” BWF president Poul-Erik Høyer said in a statement.
The IPC governing board in November will decide which sports will be showcased in Tokyo.
“The BWF has been working hard on developing para-badminton and building its player base since 2010 and this has included enhancing the classification system and the rules governing para-badminton,” added the BWF president.