Concerns were raised six months ago over the well-being of athletes participating in the upcoming World Championships in New Delhi, as several players, including Danish badminton ace Mia Blichfeldt, heavily criticised the off-court hygiene and practice infrastructure at the Indian Open in January, which served as an appetiser for the showdown in August.
Athletes described the warm-up and training sectors at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex as dirty, cold, and unprofessional. Their criticism also included filthy warm-up zones, bird droppings on and around the courts, forcing match delays, stray animal sightings, including a monkey in the stands, and hazardous local smog pollution.
Filthy warm-up zones and bird droppings
Men's World No. 3 singles player Anders Antonsen withdrew from the tournament for the third consecutive year due to New Delhi's hazardous air quality index (AQI) exceeding 340-400, choosing to accept a $5,000 fine rather than risk his health.
Director of Elite Sports at the Danish Badminton Federation, Jens Meibom, recognises that the tournament in January faced serious hygienic issues but is confident that the New Delhi organisers will clear up the problems in time for the World Championships, which take place from 17-23 August.
"The hygienic issues created a lot of noise around the event. There is no doubt that it was a bad case for the organisers, and their reputation was harmed by it."
"After that event, all eyes will be on them, and there will be extra attention from BWF (The International Badminton Federation), the media, and the players to see if they have managed to improve conditions. They cannot afford to let something similar happen this time, and therefore I am confident that they will do everything in their power to improve conditions and deliver a spotless event," says Meibom to Flashscore.com.
Pressure on organisers to improve conditions
Meibom underlines that even though there were a lot of factors that could be criticised during the event in January, smog was by far the biggest issue. "They often call it January 'smog month' in India because the farmers burn their fields after harvesting wheat, and that often contributes to the poor air conditions, and it certainly won't be as bad in August, when they grow the crop instead," says Meibom.
Following the criticism at the India Open Super 750 tournament in January, organisers allegedly have taken strides to improve conditions in time for the Badminton World Championships, according to different Indian media sources. "Inspections have been carried out to enhance the roofs for maintenance, the air-conditioning systems have been tested, and the lighting systems have been improved to international standards," says BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund.
The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium has, according to sources, undergone a massive facelift as triple-door glass enclosures have been installed at every stadium entry point to eliminate external drafts, noise, and distractions during match play. Anti-pest gel has been applied to roof beams to deter pigeons, and stricter measures to clear stray animals have been enforced. In addition, comprehensive sealing and structural waterproofing of the roof have been put in place to permanently prevent bird intrusions.
'Should any issues arise, we can handle them'
The Danish badminton director stresses that Danish badminton players, in general, haven't experienced major problems at badminton tournaments in India. "We have been participating in tournaments in India for years. The first year after I joined the federation, we had a player who became very ill, but since then, we haven't had any major problems, so we have stuck to the same hotel throughout the years, and we never go out to eat to stay healthy.”
“Some players might be more sensitive than others, and some may experience asthma symptoms, but we will have air fresheners installed in our rooms if necessary, and I am not worried before the tournament. Of course, there are no guarantees that things will work out in New Delhi. But we have prepared ourselves well for the event, and should any issues arise, we can handle them," ends Jens Meibom.
The World Championships take place from 17-23 August in New Delhi and will be covered extensively by Flashscore.
Svend Bertil Frandsen has been Senior News Editor for Flashscore News in Denmark since September 2022. He has formerly worked for UEFA and FIFA and is a former tennis pro. He specializes in news around football, tennis, badminton and handball. You can also follow him on LinkedIn.
