The BWF India Open Super 750, India’s premier badminton event, has been at the centre of controversies over the state of the playing and practice arenas and the pollution in New Delhi.
One top-ranked player has stayed away from the tournament citing these issues and several others who participated have publicly criticised the cleanliness.
Here are some of the issues that have marred the India Open this year:
Cleanliness of courts
“I actually hoped it was going to be better than the other hall. I think it’s still very dirty and really unhealthy conditions for all the players,” Danish world no.20 Mia Blichfeldt said after winning her first round match on Tuesday. Blichfeldt was one of those who had reservations about the arrangements last year, and said that she had hoped that the change in tournament hall would bring about changes in conditions as well.
Blichfeldt was clear that there were no real issues about the court conditions, but had reservations about the health conditions for players at the tournament this year.
VIDEO | India Open 2026: Denmark shuttler Mia Blichfeldt criticises the playing conditions after her R32 win, saying the situation has not improved from last year and urging the BWF to take note ahead of major events.
She says, “The conditions are really poor. It was dirty last… pic.twitter.com/MnuOgnadWy
– Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 13, 2026
BAI response: Secretary Sanjay Mishra said that Blichfeldt’s complaints were only from her own perspective, and that multiple players had appreciated the arrangements made for them at this India Open this year.
“Mia’s comments were made in a broader context around general playing conditions and personal health sensitivities, and not about the playing arena specifically,” Mishra said.
“She has clearly stated that the competition venue itself is well maintained. As mentioned in her conversation regarding the warm-up area, it is important to note that she was referring to the KD Jadhav Stadium, which is the training venue, and not the main playing arena,” Mishra added.
“As an athlete who is more sensitive to dust and environmental factors, she was sharing a personal perspective on how conditions can sometimes impact her health. The playing arena has been kept clean, dirt-free and pigeon-free, and several players have expressed satisfaction with the conditions at the venue,” Mishra also said.
Meanwhile, Srikanth Kidambi also responded to Blichfeldt’s comments by saying the conditions were fine and that he didn’t understand the hue and cry over it.
“I had to wait an hour in Denmark for my match during the 2016-17 season because the lights went out. Prannoy told me that he played one game on the one day and the other game the next day, so such things happen. No country does these things intentionally as everyone wants to give their best at it,” Srikanth said.
Temperature controls on court
Blichfeldt wasn’t the only player to have reservations about the temperature on the courts, which the players have felt has been too cold, and has hampered their warm-ups. The Dane said that players have had to warm-up while wearing multiple layer of protective clothing, which has not been ideal.
Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon said that the players need “something like heaters” on courts so that their warm-ups aren’t affected.
“I felt kind of cold, it was hard to warm up in there,” Canadian player Michelle Li had said.
BAI response: “It’s cold in Delhi, yes, so we are providing heaters, players are appreciating, we should not just go by one player’s comment, she might have been sensitive,” Mishra said.
However, the complaints about the cold haven’t been from one player alone.
Monkey business in the stands
Photographer Azlynna Dewi, who has traveled to Delhi to cover the event, posted multiple stories on her Instagram account of a monkey being seen in the stands at the main arena, while first round matches were in progress on Wednesday.
Korean doubles player Kang Minhyuk also posted on social media about a monkey having entered the training venue, the KD Jadhav Hall. “Are animals given free entry,” Kang asked.
BAI response: “BAI and the venue staff have been working at the stadium continuously for the last 20 days, and this is the first time such an incident has been observed. It is unfortunate, and it is possible that a door may have been inadvertently left open,” Mishra said in a statement on Wednesday evening.
“We are taking all necessary steps to ensure that doors remain securely closed. The stadium is surrounded by significant greenery, which is a natural part of the environment, and we continue to work closely with the authorities to maintain a safe and controlled playing atmosphere,” he added.
Health concerns caused by New Delhi pollution
Delhi’s Air Quality Index reading, although not as alarming as it was a month or so ago, still hovers between harmful and hazardous. At the time of writing, the AQI was at 246, which is categorised as severe. On Wednesday, it was 348, which is very poor.
Denmark’s men’s singles player Anders Antonsen said the Badminton World Federation had fined him $5000 for pulling out of the event. Antonsen said, in an Instagram story, that he refused to travel due to the extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment. “I don’t think it’s a place to host a badminton tournament,” he wrote.
On Thursday, Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew told reporters at the venue that everyone’s stamina has gone down two levels since last week’s Malaysia Open, Sportstar reported. Loh said that he had issues while breathing, and that he had been wearing a mask at most times, whenever he’s had to step outside of his room.
BAI response: Pollution is not something we control. There won’t be cold and pollution issues during August, and to address the heat we have air-conditioning systems in place, so we will have no issues,” Mishra said.
Mishra also dismissed Antonsen’s comments saying he can’t comment on the conditions here while sitting in Denmark.
“There is no place for politics in this sport. It is wrong to support those who criticise our nation from abroad,” he said.
#WATCH | Delhi | On allegations of poor conditions at the venue of the ongoing 2026 India Open Badminton Tournament, Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, Badminton Association of India, says,” This event is a test event for us before the BWF World Championships. Everyone has… pic.twitter.com/EUJOsarMO5
– ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2026
Mishra also added that they had explored additional venues, like Kochi, Pune and Guwahati, but for operational reasons, they couldn’t shift the tournament to those cities. There are issues at Balewadi Stadium in Pune, Mishra said, while adding that stadium seating was inadequate in Kochi and that they couldn’t provide enough hotel rooms for the tournament to run smoothly in Guwahati.
Bird excrement on court
Just two days after Mishra had addressed Blichfeldt’s comments about birds excreting on the practice courts, saying that such an incident hadn’t occurred at the main playing hall, the second round match between HS Prannoy and Loh Kean Yew had to be stopped two times due to birds excreting on court when the match was on.
— With PTI Inputs
