A day after a Danish player complained of bird-poop littering around the venue, a monkey sighting was reported at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex hosting the India Open badminton Super 750 tournament.
In three separate Instagram stories posted by photographer Azlynna Dewi, a monkey was seen in the stands not far from the courts being used by some of the world’s top shuttlers.
The uninvited simian entry was confirmed by a security official guarding the gate.
“Yes, a monkey entered the spectators’ arena and sat in the gold stand. It was there for 10 minutes and once we received a complaint, we removed it promptly,” an official said. “The monkey didn’t harm anyone. It is a little dark so nobody could spot it. When it was spotted, we quickly removed it.”
Korean men’s doubles player Kang Min Hyuk posted a video of another monkey at the KD Jadhav Indoor hall, the designated training venue. The Korean shuttler wrote a caption: “Are animals (given) free admission?”
On Day one, Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt had criticised ‘unhealthy’ conditions in the training arena, calling out the presence of pigeons and bird-poop on the floor.
“I’m happy with the court conditions but not the health conditions”, Blichfeldt had told reporters after her first-round win. “The floors are dirty and there is a lot of dirt on the courts. Also, there are birds flying in the arena, there is bird poop also.”
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The complaints over the first two days of the tournament prompted the world body to take cognizance and respond, saying they are constantly monitoring facilities and conditions as the venue is set to host the World Championships later in the year.
“We acknowledge the concerns raised by several players and teams regarding venue conditions at the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2026, held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi,” the badminton World Federation (BWF) said.
“The Indira Gandhi Sports Complex represents a significant upgrade from the KD Jadhav Stadium, and a comprehensive review of all tournament facilities and operational processes is currently underway. The findings from this review will guide further improvements as we prepare to host the BWF World Championships 2026 at the same venue in August.”
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The Badminton Association of India, on its part, clarified in a statement that Blichfeldt was referring to the KD Jadhav Stadium, the training venue, and not the main playing arena. This is the second year in a row that Blichfeldt has complained about conditions during the premier BWF event in the country.
Danish men’s singles World No.3 shuttler Anders Antonsen, who is not in Delhi for the tournament having withdrawn earlier this month, blamed the high Air Quality Index (AQI) of the capital city as his reason to pull out.
“Many is (sic) curious to why I have pulled out of the India Open for the third consecutive year. Due to the extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment I don’t thinks (sic) it’s a place to host a badminton tournament,” Antonsen wrote in an Instagram story earlier in the day. The Dane had pulled out of the India Open on January 4, even before the season-opening Malaysia Open, where he lost in the semifinal to World No.1 Shi Yuqi.
(With inputs from Vinayakk Mohanarangan)
