We’re safe but there is a little bit of worry, says Sindhu’s coach Irwansyah
Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, who trains two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu, had a narrow escape after an explosion occurred close to where they were stationed at Dubai Airport while travelling to Birmingham for the All-England Championships.
Sindhu and Irwansyah were left stranded at Dubai International Airport after flight operations were suspended following escalating tensions in the Middle East. The tournament is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
Explosions were reported across parts of the Gulf after Iran responded with a salvo of missiles, including in the United Arab Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi and in Dubai, prompting the suspension of all flights at Dubai airport.
“In Dubai at the moment, flights getting cancelled. There was an explosion in airport, so are stuck here at the moment,” Irwansyah told PTI.
“They have put us in the hotel, we are okay but again, there is a little bit of worry at the same time. We want to go to the All England. I hope we can fly out today because Sindhu’s match is on Wednesday.”
Meanwhile, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said it was closely monitoring the travel challenges arising from the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East, along with Badminton England. “We remain in regular contact with teams and players whose journeys to Birmingham for the YONEX All England Open 2026 may be affected.
The safety and well-being of all athletes, officials and support personnel remain our highest priority,” BWF said in a statement.
“BWF is working with the tournament organisers and national associations to assess travel conditions, while our operations teams maintain real-time oversight of the situation and stand ready to assist delegations experiencing delays or route changes.
“This includes reviewing and preparing potential contingencies within the competition schedule, should any players experience delayed arrival. We will continue to share updates as the situation evolves and more information becomes available.”
Sindhu, on Sunday morning, detailed the tense moments on social media.
“The ordeal continues to unfold, and the situation is becoming more frightening by the hour. A few hours ago, there was an explosion close to where we were holed up at the airport,” she wrote on social media.
“My coach had to quickly run out of the area as he was closest to the smoke and debris. It was an extremely tense and scary moment for all of us.”
Most of the Indian players, scheduled to compete in the prestigious tournament, have already reached Birmingham.
The top men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, men’s singles player Lakshya Sen, young shuttler Ayush Shetty, and the women’s doubles players Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly have reached.
Among others, Malvika Bansod has also reached, but Unnati Hooda remains in India after her direct flight from New Delhi to Birmingham was cancelled at the last moment.
“I was supposed to travel today around 11 but early this morning came to know that the flight has been cancelled. Now seats are not available in connected flights. I am in touch with BAI and they are in conversation with BWF to maybe schedule my matches late,” Unnati said.
Former India coach Vimal Kumar was also scheduled to depart on Saturday but learnt of his cancellation shortly before boarding in Bengaluru.
Doubles coach B Sumeeth Reddy will travel via Singapore along with mixed doubles pair Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani.
“There are some players we are trying to send via Singapore, some have reached. Satwik and Chirag have reached, “Badminton Association of India secretary Sanjay Mishra said.
The United States and Israel launched a major offensive on Iran on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump calling on the Iranian public to overthrow its leadership.
The military strikes led to airspace closures across parts of the Gulf region, disrupting multiple international carriers, including Emirates and Air India.
Air India said it has cancelled all flights to and from major Gulf destinations, including Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Muscat, Riyadh and Tel Aviv, until further notice.
Dubai International Airport has suspended operations indefinitely due to airspace restrictions following the missile strikes.
