Incident adds to scrutiny of Indira Gandhi Stadium ahead of World Championships in August
\n new delhi
\nPlay at the India Open badminton tournament was halted twice on Thursday after bird droppings were spotted on Court 1 during Indian HS Prannoy\u2019s match against Singapore\u2019s Loh Kean Yew, Indian media reported.
\nThe incident kept the spotlight on conditions at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium for a third straight day and added to questions over the venue\u2019s preparedness for the World Championships in August.
\nPlay was first stopped in the opening game when officials rushed in with tissues to clean the floor, and was halted again in the third after fresh droppings were spotted. \u201cI think it was bird poop,\u201d Prannoy said after the match.
\nThe disruption followed other incidents reported at the venue in recent days, including birds flying around on the practice courts and a monkey being seen in the stands.
\nWhile the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has defended the conditions and arrangements so far, Indian media said Thursday\u2019s episode adds to a growing list of embarrassments for organisers and points of review for the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which is monitoring the venue.
\nPlayers have also raised concerns over the city\u2019s pollution and weather conditions, with Loh adding to the issues flagged during the tournament.
\nEarlier this week, Danish player Blichfeldt raised concerns about what she described as \u201cdirty and unhealthy\u201d conditions, calling on the BWF to intervene, a significant allegation given the same venue will host the World Championships scheduled to be held in August, with India set to host the global showpiece for the first time in 16 years.
\nLast year\u2019s India Open was held at the smaller KD Jadhav Arena before being moved this season to the larger Indira Gandhi Stadium, while training sessions continue to take place at the KD Jadhav Stadium located around 250-300 metres from the main arena.
\nBlichfeldt had reiterated her concerns this week, specifically referring to the warm-up halls, saying players were forced to wear multiple layers due to cold conditions and describing the environment as unfit for elite preparation.
\nShe also raised health concerns after claiming to have seen birds inside the warm-up area, including instances of droppings on court surfaces.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s clearly unhealthy and not normal,\u201d she said, adding that falling sick or getting injured due to such conditions would be unfair to players.
\nWhile acknowledging organisers\u2019 efforts, she maintained improvements were still needed and urged tournament authorities and the BWF to ensure professional standards are met.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Incident adds to scrutiny of Indira Gandhi Stadium ahead of World Championships in August new delhi Play at the India Open badminton tournament was halted twice on Thursday after bird droppings were spotted on Court 1 during Indian HS Prannoy\u2019s match against Singapore\u2019s Loh Kean Yew, Indian media reported. The incident kept the spotlight on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":526093,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-526076","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n