The game stopped due to birds’ beats, monkeys also created hindrance… Big chaos came to light in the quarter final match of India Open.

New Delhi: There was such an unexpected disruption in the India Open badminton tournament on Thursday that no one had predicted on the day of the match. During the quarterfinal match between World Championship medalist HS Prannoy and Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, play was stopped twice due to bird droppings. The incident occurred days after Badminton Association of India general secretary Sanjay Mishra claimed that Delhi’s sports venue was pigeon-free.

obstacle to exciting competition

The second round between eighth seed Prannoy and Loh was very exciting. Then suddenly the game had to be stopped due to bird droppings falling on the court. In badminton tournaments, the courts are usually cleaned only on the request of the players. In the event of blood or other dangerous stains, the referee stops the game. But a rare phenomenon like bird droppings disrupted the game during the Super 750 competition held at major sporting venues in India.

Prannoy told the media that I think the game was stopped due to bird droppings. However, I do not want to point fingers at the circumstances. He also said that the challenge of cold and air quality starts becoming normal to the player after the first few points.

players’ concerns

Many players expressed concern about air pollution and severe cold in Delhi. World number two Anders Antonsson said he withdrew from the India Open due to pollution and termed the city not suitable for the tournament. At the same time, Loh from Singapore talked about having difficulty in breathing and said that he plays wearing a mask and is careful while going out.

uncleanliness and investigation

The tournament came under scrutiny after allegations of unhygienic conditions at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall, the training venue for the India Open. Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeld had complained about bird droppings and lack of cleanliness at the training ground. He said that this is happening for the second consecutive year.

Tournament venues and events

The tournament was later shifted from KD Jadhav Hall to Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. This is the same stadium which is going to host the World Championship at the end of August. During this time, the players had to continue performing in the match despite discomfort.