Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 14: A day after Denmark’s women’s singles shuttler Mia Blichfeldt raised concerns over playing conditions at the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi, her compatriot and men’s singles world No 3 Anders Antonsen has cited extreme air pollution as the reason for pulling out of the tournament for the third consecutive year.
In an Instagram story, Antonsen said Delhi was “not a place to host a badminton tournament” due to hazardous pollution levels. He withdrew from the India Open on January 4, even before competing at the Malaysia Open, where he later lost in the semifinals to world No 1 Shi Yu Qi.
Antonsen also criticised the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for imposing a USD 5,000 fine on him for missing one of the mandatory tournaments for top-ranked players. Sharing a screenshot of Delhi’s air quality index at 348, he described the conditions as hazardous and expressed hope that the situation would improve ahead of the BWF World Championships scheduled to be held in the city in August.
His comments follow sharp criticism from Blichfeldt, ranked world No 20, who after her first-round win on Tuesday said she was unhappy with the health conditions at the IG Indoor Stadium complex. While praising the court itself, she pointed to dirty floors, dust, birds flying inside the arena and bird droppings on courts as major concerns.
This is the second consecutive year Blichfeldt has raised issues over conditions in New Delhi, having voiced similar complaints after the 2025 edition of the India Open. She has urged BWF to prioritise player health before awarding hosting rights for major tournaments such as the World Championships.
Responding to the criticism, Badminton Association of India (BAI) General Secretary Sanjay Mishra clarified that the concerns were related to the training venue at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium and not the main playing arena at the IG Indoor Stadium. He stated that the playing conditions at the main venue were satisfactory.
The Indian Express has reached out to BWF for its response on the matter.