Bird shit and winter jackets: Top badminton players withdraw from India Open

Blunt remarks after opening win

A routine post match interview has turned into a wider controversy at the India Open in New Delhi. After winning her first round match at the Super 750 tournament, Danish badminton player Mia Blichfeldt spoke candidly about the conditions surrounding the event.

According to Press Trust of India, India’s largest news agency, Blichfeldt was asked about the move from the K D Jadhav Indoor Hall to the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, which is scheduled to host the world championships later this year. Her answer caught many by surprise.

“I had actually hoped it would be better than the other hall. I still think it is very dirty and really unhealthy conditions for all players,” Blichfeldt said, according to Press Trust of India.

Her comments were quickly picked up across Indian media. According to The Indian Express, India Today, NDTV Sports and Hindustan Times, several outlets highlighted her concerns about cleanliness and health risks around the venue.

Read also: Second-tier Albacete eliminate Real Madrid in Copa del Rey upset

Training facilities under scrutiny

Blichfeldt later expanded on her concerns, focusing on the training facilities rather than the main competition arena. According to TV 2 Sport, she described cold and clammy conditions at the nearby K D Jadhav Stadium, where players prepare before matches.

“All players warm up wearing two layers of trousers and winter jackets, gloves and hats,” she said, according to TV 2 Sport, adding that such preparation is far from ideal for athletes who need to move explosively on court.

She also raised hygiene concerns. According to TV 2 Sport, Blichfeldt said birds were flying inside the training hall and leaving droppings on the courts, describing the situation as unhealthy and abnormal for elite level sport.

Despite her criticism, she noted that local organisers appeared to be doing what they could to improve conditions. At the same time, she argued that the Badminton World Federation should take a closer look to prevent players from getting injured or sick.

Read also: Arsenal track 20-year-old Barcelona attacker

Officials defend conditions as concerns grow

The remarks prompted a response from Indian badminton officials. According to Press Trust of India, Sanjay Mishra, secretary general of the Badminton Association of India, said Blichfeldt’s comments had been taken out of context.

He stressed that her criticism referred to the training venue, not the main arena used for matches, which he described as clean and well maintained. Mishra also suggested that Blichfeldt was sharing a personal perspective linked to her sensitivity to dust and environmental factors, adding that other players had expressed satisfaction with the competition hall.

Temperature rules and renewed focus on player welfare

That assessment has been disputed. According to TV 2 Sport, multiple sources have described the competition arena itself as cold and clammy. The broadcaster reported that temperatures dropped to around six degrees Celsius at times, well below BWF regulations, which state that indoor temperatures should be kept between 18 and 30 degrees.

According to TV 2 Sport, criticism from players and coaches has added momentum to a broader, long running discussion about playing conditions at international tournaments in India and the responsibility of governing bodies to enforce standards designed to protect athlete health.

Read also: World Cup enters the age of artificial intelligence

Expert warns problems have persisted for years

Concerns about conditions in Indian badminton venues are not new. According to TV 2 Sport, former top player and current badminton expert Joachim Fischer believes the latest criticism only confirms long standing issues that have yet to be properly addressed.

Speaking to TV 2 Sport, Fischer said images shared on social media during the Super 300 Syed Modi tournament in India showed courts smeared with bird droppings. Danish doubles player Frederik Søgaard, currently ranked 23rd in the world with partner Rasmus Kjær, posted photos from the hall where birds were flying under the roof and leaving droppings on one of the warm up courts.

Søgaard told TV 2 Sport that the droppings were likely caused by pigeons inside the venue and that the affected court was used for warm ups in the same hall where matches were played.

While the images prompted jokes among players, Fischer said the situation highlights a serious health risk. According to TV 2 Sport, the former international has advised players to treat hygiene precautions in India with the same seriousness as during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Read also: All Blacks sack Robertson midway through World Cup cycle

“I have reminded players to take it seriously and protect themselves as much as possible, because there are bacteria out there that their bodies are simply not used to,” Fischer said, according to TV 2 Sport.

He added that while he has experienced illness during tournaments in Asia himself, he was still surprised by the conditions shown in the images.

“The surprising part is that these kinds of conditions are still being provided. It does not all have to be perfect, but at the very least it should be clean and orderly so players do not risk getting sick,” Fischer said.

According to TV 2 Sport, similar issues were reported earlier this year at the India Open, where Danish player Mikkel Mikkelsen fell ill during the tournament and later described birds in the ceiling, droppings on the floor and even a dog entering the warm up hall.

Read also: The tragic legacy of Dallas McCarver

Fischer believes responsibility ultimately lies with the sport’s governing body.

According to TV 2 Sport, he said that while cultural differences should be respected, the Badminton World Federation must take its role seriously and begin setting firmer requirements for World Tour tournaments.

“I cannot understand how BWF can accept these conditions for the best players in the world. We have reached a point where something has to change,” Fischer said.

Sources: TV 2 Sport, Press Trust of India, The Indian Express, India Today