New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has rejected allegations of dirt and poor conditions at the venue of the 2026 India Open badminton tournament in New Delhi made by Danish World No. 20 Mia Blichfeldt, claiming her comments were about general playing conditions and not related to the Indira Gandhi Multi-purpose Indoor Stadium, the playing arena for tthe BWF World Tour Super 750 event.

In an official statement, BAI general secretary Sanjay Mishra claimed that Blichfeldt’s comments were “not about the playing arena specifically” and were rather about “KD Jadhav Stadium, which serves as the training venue, and not the main playing arena”.

The main draw of the 2026 India Open started on Tuesday and soon landed into controversy with Blichfeldt urging “the BWF to review the setup ahead of the World Championships this August”, which will be held at the same venue.

“Mia’s comments were made in a broader context around general playing conditions and personal health sensitivities, and not about the playing arena at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open specifically. 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,” said Sanjay Mishra in the official statement issued by BAI.

“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. The playing arena has been kept clean, dirt-free, and pigeon-free, and several players have expressed satisfaction with the conditions at the venue,” he added.

It is worth noting that Blichfeldt had made similar allegations about the India Open last year, too, blaming the dense smog in India and bird droppings inside the stadium for the illness she suffered after the event.

–IANS

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