The 2026 India Open badminton tournament in New Delhi was drawn into controversy on its opening day after Denmark’s world No. 20 Mia Blichfeldt raised concerns over what she described as unsanitary playing conditions, including bird droppings on courts.
The Badminton Association of India (BAI), however, has rejected the allegations, insisting that the main competition venue meets international standards.
Blichfeldt’s remarks surfaced on social media, where she urged the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to review the setup at the Indira Gandhi Multi-purpose Indoor Stadium, which is also scheduled to host the World Championships later this year.
Among her complaints were “very dirty conditions”, “birds shit on the courts” and claims that the venue was “not improved from last year”.
BAI says concerns not about main arena
Responding to the criticism, BAI general secretary Sanjay Mishra said the Danish shuttler’s comments were being misconstrued. In an official statement, Mishra clarified that Blichfeldt was not referring to the main playing arena used for the Yonex-Sunrise India Open, a BWF World Tour Super 750 event.
“Mia’s comments were made in a broader context around general playing conditions and personal health sensitivities and not about the competition venue itself,” Mishra said.
He added that the concerns were related to the KD Jadhav Stadium, which serves as the tournament’s training venue.
According to BAI, the main arena has been kept “clean, dirt-free, and pigeon-free” and several players have expressed satisfaction with the playing conditions.
Not the first time concerns have been raised
This is not the first instance of Blichfeldt criticising conditions at the India Open. Following last year’s edition, she had cited dense smog and bird droppings inside the stadium as factors behind an illness she suffered after the tournament.
While BAI has reiterated that the competition venue is well maintained, the episode has once again put the spotlight on venue preparedness, particularly with the World Championships scheduled to be held at the same location later this year.