Badminton
'Smog, birds shitting' – Shuttler Blichfeldt lashes out at India Open
The Dane, who bowed out in the women's singles round of 16, was unhappy with the conditions on offer.
The Danish women's singles shuttler Mia Blichfeldt, on Saturday, lashed out at the poor conditions during the 2025 India Open Super 750 at the national capital in New Delhi.
Blichfeldt, who bowed out of from the women's singles event in Round of 16, stated that she has fallen sick for a second year running while at New Delhi for the India Open.
"Finally home after a long and stressful week in India," the 27-year-old Blichfeldt wrote in social media post. "It's 2 years in a row now that I get sick during India Open.
"It's really hard to accept that many weeks of work and preparing gets wasted because of bad conditions," she added.
Delhi is known to battle hazardous level of smog and air pollution during the winters. Previously, the Sri Lankan men's cricket team had entered the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium wearing a mask during the fourth day of a Test match back in December 2017.
Blichfeldt also complained about dirt and bird droppings at the venue.
"It's not fair to anyone that we have to train and play in smog, birds shitting on courts and dirt everywhere," she wrote. "These conditions are unhealthy and unacceptable."
Blichfeldt won her first round match at the 2025 India Open against fellow national shuttler Julie Jakobsen on Wednesday, before falling to Wang Zhi Yi of China the very next day.
BAI responds
The Badminton Association of India (BAI), who organise the India Open event, meanwhile said that they are already in discussion with the Badminton World Federation to explore alternate venue options.
The national body gets access to the current playing arena only four days before the tournament, posing major logistical challenges.
"As the host and staging authority for the Yonex Sunrise India Open, the Badminton Association of India gains access to the stadium and its infrastructure only four days before the event, which poses significant logistical challenges," read a statement from Sanjay Mishra, general secretary of BAI.
"We are already in discussions with the BWF to explore alternative venues and are actively evaluating the infrastructure options," Mishra added further.
The India Open was upgraded to a Super 750 event by the Badminton World Federation in 2023, making it a prestigious event on the World Tour.
