The India Open has traditionally been one of the crown jewels of the BWF World Tour.
Held annually in New Delhi, it has showcased some of the finest badminton talent in the world and helped establish India as a growing powerhouse in the sport. The 2026 version of the competition, which took place from January 13 to 18 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, shall unfortunately be remembered more for its embarrassing controversies rather than its matches.
From hygiene complaints to pollution concerns and even monkeys in the stands, the event turned into a public relations nightmare for Indian badminton.
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Right from the first day of competing, it had been observed that things were not going as expected. Rather than hearing about the exciting games and spectacular performances, the international community has been treated to complaints from the players about hygiene standards, the condition of the venue, air pollution, as well as animal encroachment.
What was intended to be a prestigious Super 750 tournament gradually unraveled into a disastrous public relations scenario for the Badminton Association of India and the organising authorities.
Cleanliness Concerns Rock the Venue
Criticisms abounded among players who thought that the stadium was not maintained to acceptable international standards. Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt hardly minced her words, stating, “It is still very dirty and in really unhealthy conditions.”
The player has pointed to visible dust and poor hygiene around the playing area. Other players chimed in somewhat similarly, saying the training courts and common areas did not meet the standards expected of a competition of this caliber. The situation reached an embarrassing climax when a match was temporarily stopped because bird droppings were found on the court. The officials had to suspend play and clean the surface before the game could resume, about which social media ran wild with videos.
While the BWF and BAI acknowledged that cleanliness could have been better, the damage to India’s reputation as a host was already done.
Monkeys, Birds and Unusual Interruptions
The hygiene-related complaints seemed like a bad omen in themselves. To worsen matters, there were some unusual events related to animals as well.
Pictures and videos appeared of a monkey casually seated among the audience in the stands while players warmed up in the arena. Another case was when some birds flew into the hall, and their feces landed squarely on the court, particularly during live matches. Such occurrences raised an eyebrow on social media platforms, as well as prompting sharp responses from politicians and sports fans. It was raising questions on how an international event is supposed to take place in such an ill-controlled environment.
Later, organizers admitted that the presence of greenery in and around the stadium also tends to attract wild animals, but that was after the series of events made the India Open a meme festival online.
Air Pollution: The Invisible Opponent
Perhaps the most concerning controversy of last week was linked to Delhi’s dangerous levels of air pollution.
January is always one of the worst months in terms of pollution, and it so happened that the 2026 tournament was scheduled during extremely unhealthy Air Quality Index levels. Some players have even complained about difficulty in breathing and low endurance. The hardest hit was when the world number 3 badminton player, Anders Antonsen of Denmark, withdrew from competition due to “extreme pollution.” In a sternly worded statement, he expressed his doubt whether a badminton tournament is appropriate for a place like Delhi in the first place.
Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew also confirmed that the poor air quality impacted his stamina, where he had to don a mask whenever he could.
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BAI officials were in support of hosting the event in Delhi, but they were critical that Antonsen shared his views without being present in the city. This issue has once again brought into focus that hosting international-level sports events in Delhi in winters might be difficult, as the capital does not have proper sports infrastructure.
“Although it’s one of the best sports stadiums in India, it was felt that it was not ready for such a big event,” said an official.
The participants also cited a lack of proper heating in the arena, poor warm-up conditions, and poor maintenance of other facilities. The press that covered the tournament noted that some facilities seemed incomplete or in poor management.
However, BAI officials were adamant that the courts and facilities were world class, calling the staging a “test run” for the World Badminton Championships, which would also be staged at the venue later in the year. However, the apparent shortcomings triggered a lot of doubts about the readiness of the country for the hosting of bigger international events.
Political Backlash and Public Outrage
And with these incidents stacking up, criticism started pouring in from all sides.
The opposition politicians reacted by posting messages on social media criticizing the organizers of the Commonwealth Games for damaging the image of India. The images of monkeys in the stands, birds defecating on the surfaces of the courts, and withdrawal of players due to pollution went viral.
What was meant to be a molding of sport instead became a breeding ground of public outcry regarding poor planning and a lack of attention to detail.
In a positive development, BWF and BAI seemed to acknowledge most of these points and promised to remedy the situation. Meetings were scheduled with the Sports Ministry to ensure proper cleanliness, infrastructure, and control of the crowds and animals. Given the fact the World Championships are going to be held in the same venue later in the year 2026, the organizers are already under immense pressure to correct all the issues that came to the fore in the India Open.
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On the court, the India Open 2026 offered great tournament-quality badminton action. However, sadly, these moments were marred by incidents that never should have been a part of them in the first place. The week was a rude awakening for a nation that hopes one day to rival the world’s best sports destinations. World-class sports events involve much more than high-profile attractions and big payouts; they involve world-class sports facilities.
Otherwise, India will be left with more tournaments that will be remembered for the mess created rather than champions produced.
