The China Masters Badminton Championships would be held in March as the organizers tried to avoid top shuttlers' snub due to the time conflict with other major tournaments.

"There are only three international tournaments before Thomas and Uber Cups, all of which will be held in Asia. The second edition of the China Masters will be sure to attract more top shuttlers," Chinese head coach and vice director of the organizing committee Li Yongbo said in a press conference.

The inaugural Aviva-Cofco China Masters started in August last year, just less than two weeks after the Anaheim world championships, was neglected by most international badminton stars.

"The registration work will start in February, we hope the event will bring more top guns this year," Li said.

The China Masters, slated for March 8-12, will be held in Chengdu, a city in western China.

As the defending champion, the Chinese badminton team will skip the qualification tournaments of the Thomas and Uber Cups in February.

"The China Masters is a opportunity for Chinese shuttlers to experience the new scoring system. And we will send the key players to compete in the China Masters," Li added.

(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2006)