Pictured: Australia winning the VICTOR Oceania Mixed Team Championships 2019
The VICTOR Oceania Championships 2021 was originally scheduled to take place in February 2021. However, the tournament was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The winning team from the Open Mixed Team Championships would have qualified for the TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2021, which rescheduled dates are still to be confirmed, set to take place in Suzhou (China).
This year, for the first time, the Sudirman Cup is being played in two stages – the continental qualification stage and the forthcoming Finals stage. Where the qualification tournament (continental championships) could not take place, the continental confederation was represented based on teams’ overall strength, in terms of the World Rankings of their top singles and doubles pairs in the five categories (men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles) as on 23 February 2021.
Of the five continental confederations, Asia and Europe have four reserved qualification spots each, while Pan Am, Oceania and Africa are assured of one each. One place is reserved for the hosts and another for the defending champions. The rest of the spots are allocated on the basis of team rankings.
In Oceania, Australia topped the table when the accumulated World Ranking points were calculated in February, having also dominated all Oceania Open Mixed Team Championships since 2010. Meanwhile, Africa’s accepting nation, Egypt, are poised to make history by contesting the World Mixed Team Championships for the first time. Canada were the recipients of Pan-Am’s allocation.
The continental qualification stage for Europe (European Mixed Team Championships) was completed on 20 February 2021. The four semifinalists from the tournament qualified to the Sudirman Cup – Denmark (winners), Germany, Russia and France.
China, No.1 by team ranking, claimed the hosts’ spot, while the four reserved spots for Asia went to Japan, Indonesia, Chinese Taipei and Korea. Thailand took the vacant titleholder allocation, while the other three spots by ranking went to Malaysia, India and England.
The qualified teams are required to confirm their acceptance by 15 March 2021. Dates for the draw and the Finals will be announced in due course.
List of Qualified Teams by Ranking and Allocation:
- China (Hosts)
- Japan (Asia, 1)
- Indonesia (Asia, 2)
- Chinese Taipei (Asia, 3)
- Korea (Asia, 4)
- Thailand (Vacant Titleholder Allocation & World Ranking)
- Denmark (Europe, 1)
- Malaysia (World Ranking)
- India (World Ranking)
- England (World Ranking)
- Canada (Pan Am)
- Germany (Europe, 2)
- Russia (Europe, 3)
- France (Europe, 4)
- Australia (Oceania)
- Egypt (Africa)
