BWF announces shuttlers for Tokyo 2020 with China's Chen as only defending champion

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The list of badminton qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympic Games has been finalized, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Monday.

A total of 87 male and 86 female players representing 50 national Olympic committees from the five continental confederations have been selected, the world governing body of badminton said in a statement.

Rio Olympic champion Chen Long is the only defending champion in any of the five categories. In women's singles, Rio gold medalist Carolina Marin from Spain is absent due to serious injury, while Fu Haifeng in men's doubles, Ayaka Takahashi in women's doubles and Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir in mixed doubles have retired.

BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen congratulated those selected, calling the upcoming Olympics a "beacon of hope" for a world that has been battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This time, its significance goes far beyond sport. It stands as a beacon of hope for everyone struggling to get their lives back on track," he said.

The shuttlers will discover their opponents in a draw to be held this Thursday at the National Badminton Center in Milton Keynes, England, the statement added.

The postponed Tokyo Olympic Games is now scheduled from July 23 to August 8.