Delhi fully ready for best-ever World Championships: BAI

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Thursday, August 6, said the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium has undergone a complete renovation and is ready to host the "best-ever" edition of the BWF World Championships, months after facilities at the venue drew criticism during the India Open.

The India Open had come under scrutiny earlier this year after players raised concerns over the venue's cleanliness, training facilities and air quality. The tournament also saw unusual disruptions, including matches being briefly halted due to bird droppings and a monkey entering the spectator stands.

The controversy began after Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt criticised the state of the warm-up and practice areas at the K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall and the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium during the India Open, drawing attention to the poor condition of the facilities.

"We've worked on every issue that came up then, and I'm happy to say those problems have been resolved completely. I'm confident this will be one of the best World Championships ever," BAI Secretary General Sanjay Mishra told PTI on the sidelines of the draw ceremony for the World Championships, which begin in New Delhi on August 17.

"I would especially like to thank the Sports Ministry and SAI because they've worked very hard. Under the guidance of our president, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, all the preparations are progressing well," he added.

Mishra said the India Open had effectively served as a "test event" ahead of the World Championships, helping organisers identify and address shortcomings in advance.

"The stadium is almost ready for the tournament. The India Open was essentially a test event for the World Championships. If we hadn't conducted that test event, we wouldn't have known what difficulties we were likely to face," he said.

According to Mishra, the venue has been fully refurbished, with the walls, toilets and flooring renovated. A team of Malaysian lighting experts has also been brought in to oversee installation of the court lighting.

"The biggest change is the complete renovation of the stadium. The walls, toilets and floors have all been refurbished. We've even brought in Malaysian lighting experts to handle the lighting. There weren't any major complaints about the lighting last time, but even then, we've invited some of the world's best experts in this field," he said.

"They will set up the entire lighting system, after which the BWF will inspect and approve it before the final court-specific lighting is installed. I believe anyone who saw or played at the India Open will find this stadium completely transformed this time," Mishra said.

(Inputs by PTI)