Play at the Indian Open badminton tournament was stopped twice on Thursday after bird droppings were detected on Court 1 during India’s HS Prannoy’s match against Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, Indian media reported.
The incident kept the spotlight on conditions at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium for a third straight day and added to questions about the venue’s readiness for the World Championships in August.
Play was first stopped in the first game when referees rushed in with tissues to clean the floor, and was stopped again in the third after new droppings were detected.
“I think it was bird poop,” Prannoy said after the game.
The disruption came after other incidents reported at the venue in recent days, including birds flying on the practice fields and a monkey seen in the stands.
While the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has defended the conditions and provisions so far, Indian media said Thursday’s episode adds to a growing list of embarrassments for organizers and checkpoints for the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which is monitoring the venue.
Players have also expressed concerns about pollution and weather conditions in the city, and Loh added to the issues raised during the tournament.
Earlier this week, Danish player Blichfeldt raised concerns about what she described as “dirty and unsanitary” conditions, and called on the BWF to intervene, a significant allegation given that the same venue will host the World Championships scheduled for August, with India hosting the world’s top competition for the first time in 16 years.
Last year’s Indian Open was held at the smaller KD Jadhav Arena before moving this season to the larger Indira Gandhi Stadium, while training sessions continue to take place at the KD Jadhav Stadium, located about 250-300 meters from the main stadium.
Blichfeldt had reiterated his concerns this week, referring specifically to the warm-up rooms, saying players were forced to wear multiple layers due to the cold conditions and describing the environment as unsuitable for elite preparation.
He also raised health concerns after claiming to have seen birds inside the warm-up area, including cases of droppings on court surfaces.
“That’s clearly unhealthy and not normal,” he said, adding that getting sick or injured due to such conditions would be unfair to players.
While acknowledging the efforts of the organisers, he maintained that improvements are still needed and urged the tournament authorities and the BWF to ensure that professional standards are met.
