PETALING JAYA: The less than conducive conditions at the Indian Open held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex have raised concerns among several top players, especially with the World Championships set to be held at the same venue in August.
World No. 20 women’s singles player Mia Blichfeldt expressed her frustration over the poor state of the warm-up area, saying it was dirty and not suitable for players preparing before heading onto the main court.
The Dane said she had already raised the issue during last year’s edition, but noted that little improvement had been made by the organisers.
“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. Everyone is warming up in two layers of pants, winter jackets, gloves and hats.
“It’s not good warm-up preparation for a player who has to go on court and move fast and go into splits. I know everyone is doing their best to make the conditions better for the players, but I think there’s still a long way to go.
“Yesterday when I came to the warm-up courts, there were birds flying around and leaving droppings on the court. That’s really unhealthy and not normal.
“But again, I’m sure that everyone in the Indian association and the volunteers here are doing their best, so I’m hoping it’s going to be even better for the World Championships in the summer,” said Blichfeldt.
She has therefore urged the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and the Badminton Association of India (BAI) to take the matter seriously, as the current conditions make it difficult for players to perform at their best.
“I don’t think many other athletes would play under these conditions.
‘‘I hope everyone involved in the tournament, the association and also the BWF will look into this venue because it’s a professional sport.
“If players get sick or injured because of these conditions, it’s unfair,” she said.
Blichfeldt’s teammate, world No. 2 men’s singles player Anders Antonsen, took a more drastic step by withdrawing from the tournament.
He cited the poor air quality in New Delhi as the reason, noting that the Air Quality Index reached 348, which is described as hazardous.
This marks the third consecutive year that Antonsen has pulled out of the Indian Open, despite it being a Super 750 event.
“Many are curious why I have pulled out of the Indian Open for the third consecutive year. As a result, BWF have once again fined me US$5,000 (RM20,024),” added Antonsen.
‘‘Due to the extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment, I don’t think it’s a place to host a badminton tournament.
“I’m crossing my fingers that it will be better in the summer when the World Championships take place in Delhi.’’
