Overview
- World No. 3 Anders Antonsen said he skipped the event due to “extreme” air pollution in Delhi and disclosed a $5,000 BWF fine for his withdrawal, sharing an AQI reading of 348 described as hazardous.
- Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt renewed complaints about dirty, cold warm-up areas and alleged bird droppings, while noting the competition courts were acceptable and urging BWF oversight.
- The Badminton Association of India said her remarks referred to the KD Jadhav warm-up facility, asserting the main arena is clean, dirt-free and pigeon-free, and later said additional heaters were installed.
- BAI’s Sanjay Mishra questioned Antonsen commenting from abroad and said BWF did not accept his reason for pulling out, as other players offered mixed views on conditions.
- Canada’s Michelle Li and Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon cited difficulty warming up and suggested heaters, while India’s P.V. Sindhu said on-court play felt fine as scrutiny intensifies before the World Championships.