CHENNAI: The India Open, which commenced in New Delhi on Tuesday, came under fresh criticism from Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt for unfavourable conditions at the venue.
In the last edition, Blichfeldt had made the same observation which had forced the organisers to shift from KD Jadhav Indoor Hall to Main Arena (Gymnastics Hall) at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex this year. The shift was also made considering India will be hosting the BWF World Championships in August. There are strict regulations (spectator capacity, practice courts, etc) that host nations need to meet in order to be eligible to do the same.
The Danish World No 20, who defeated Chinese Taipei's Chiu Pin-Chian 21-19, 21-11 in her women's singles opening-round tie, pulled no punches while talking to reporters about the conditions. "I think it's not fair to the players, a lot of us get sick. That means we cannot participate in the tournament the week after. I think everyone is doing their best and that's something that needs to be better because it's not good for the players where there's bird droppings on the floor and stuff like that," the 28-year-old said.
Blichfeldt feedback will be closely scrutinised by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Association of India (BAI), the organisers, as the same venue is expected to be used to conduct the World Championships later this year. To be fair to the BAI, they had already acknowledged well before that the India Open will be more a massive challenge and they'd be considering this year's edition like a test event before the World Championships. Blichfeldt hoped that the organisers would address the issues before the crucial Worlds, which is scheduled to be held in August.
"To be fair, I think it can be way better. Again, I'm sure that everyone around the BAI and the volunteers do their best. I'm hoping that it is going to be even better for the World Championships," Blichfeldt said.
"The floors are dirty, there's a lot of dirt on the court. There are bird droppings and birds flying around in the arena. For me, as a European player, maybe I'm more sensitive, food etc. This time I'm trying to stay in my room, so that I don't get sick. I think it's a good test for me also leading to the World Championships even though I think the conditions are going to be better because it's summer."
One of the BAI officials, who's at the venue, acknowledged the concerns and said that the venue has been set-up as per BWF regulations. The official said that BWF will be evaluating the event and providing them with necessary feedback.
Besides, some of the players including Blichfeldt also felt the conditions were freezing cold for the players at the venue. "All the players are also freezing. I'm playing with tights and warming up with my winter jackets. The conditions are not the best," Blichfeldt said.
BIA official has come out with a statement saying Mia’s comments were made in a broader context around general playing conditions and personal health sensitivities, and not about the playing arena. "She has clearly stated that the competition venue itself is well maintained. As mentioned in her conversation regarding the warm-up area, it is important to note that she was referring to the KD Jadhav Stadium, which serves as the training venue, and not the main playing arena. As an athlete who is more sensitive to dust and environmental factors, she was sharing a personal perspective on how conditions can sometimes impact her health," said BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra.
Lakshya wins all-Indian tie
On the court, Lakshya Sen won an all-Indian battle against Ayush Shetty. Lakshya now leads 3-0 in their head-to-head record. The World No 14 was quick off the blocks and controlled the tempo of the match in the early stages. Ayush on the other hand seemed nervous and was guilty of making errors. Even though he reeled off six consecutive points towards the end, it was too little too late. The second essay was much closer until the mid-stages but once Lakshya had his nose in front, he maintained his advantage and went on to close out the match. Lakshya Sen, the winner of 2022 edition, will go on to face Kenta Nishimoto of Japan next.
Results (Indians unless stated)
MS: Lakshya Sen bt Ayush Shetty 21-12, 21-15; MD: Hariharan Amsakarunan vs MR Arjun bt Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (MYS) 21-15, 21-18. WD: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand bt Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn/Sukitta Suwachai (THA) 21-15, 21-11; Priya Konjengbam/Shruti Mishra lost to Lui Lok Lok/Tsang Hiu Yan (HK) 11-21, 22-20, 22-24. XD: Dhruv Rawat/Maneesha K lost to Hiroki Midorikawa/Nami Matsuyama (JPN) 9-21, 10-21.