The Badminton Asia Championships has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Handout photo.

MANILA, Philippines -- The Badminton Asia Championships 2020 has been suspended by the sport's governing body due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The tournament was initially set to take place in Wuhan, China but was moved to Manila, where it was scheduled for April 21-26.

The rapid spread of the virus has forced the Badminton World Federation to suspend all of its remaining tournaments for the next two months, however.

In a statement, the BWF stressed that "the healthy, safety, and well-being of all athletes, their entourage, officials, and the greater badminton community remain as the top priority."

Aside from the Asia event, also postponed are the following tournaments:

The Thomas and Uber Cup

The European Championships

The Pan Am Individual Championships

The Croatian International

The Peru International

All events were pivotal for badminton players trying to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Philippine Badminton Association was awarded the hosting of the singles Asian Championships after previously hosting the 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships in Manila last February.

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website).