Direct remarks after an inaugural victory
What was supposed to be a routine post-match interview turned into a wider controversy at the India Open in New Delhi. Following her victory in the first round of the Super 750 tournament, Danish badminton player Mia Blichfeldt spoke candidly about the conditions surrounding the competition.
According to Press Trust of India, the country’s largest news agency, Blichfeldt was asked about the move from the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall to the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, which is scheduled to host the world championships later this year. His response surprised many observers.
“I was actually hoping it would be better than the other room.” I find it always very dirty and the conditions are really unhealthy for all the players,” Blichfeldt said, according to Press Trust of India.
His words were quickly relayed by numerous Indian media. According to The Indian Express, India Today, NDTV Sports and Hindustan Times, several headlines have highlighted concerns over cleanliness and health risks around the venue.
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Training facilities under surveillance
Blichfeldt later clarified his criticism by focusing on the training facilities rather than the main competition arena. According to TV 2 Sportshe described the conditions at the nearby KD Jadhav Stadium as cold and humid, where players prepare before their matches.
“All the players warm up with two layers of pants and wear winter jackets, gloves and hats,” she explained, according to TV 2 Sport, adding that this type of preparation is far from ideal for athletes who have to perform fast and explosive movements.
It also raised health concerns. According to TV 2 Sport, Blichfeldt said birds were flying inside the training room and leaving droppings on the pitches, calling the conditions unhealthy and abnormal for high-level sport.
Despite her criticism, she noted that local organizers appeared to be making efforts to improve the situation. At the same time, she felt that the Badminton World Federation needed to intervene to prevent players from getting injured or falling ill.
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Leaders defend conditions as concerns grow
These statements sparked a reaction from Indian badminton officials. According to Press Trust of India, Sanjay Mishra, general secretary of the Badminton Association of India, claimed that Blichfeldt’s comments were taken out of context.
He insisted his criticism was of the training facilities and not the main match arena, which he described as clean and well-maintained. Mishra added that his remarks reflected a personal view related to increased sensitivity to dust and other environmental factors, while noting that other players had expressed satisfaction with the playing conditions.
Temperature rules and renewed attention to player health
This version is, however, contested. According to TV 2 Sport, several sources described the competition arena itself as cold and damp. The broadcaster reported that temperatures at times dropped to around six degrees Celsius, well below BWF rules, which state that the temperature in venues must be between 18 and 30 degrees.
According to TV 2 Sport, other players and coaches also voiced their criticism, reigniting a long-running debate over the conditions of international tournaments hosted in India and the responsibility of governing bodies to uphold standards.
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Expert warns of persistent problems for years
For Joachim Fischer, former top player and now badminton expert, these concerns are not new. According to TV 2 Sport, recent criticism only confirms old problems that have still not been resolved.
Speaking to TV 2 Sport, Fischer discussed footage shared on social media during the Syed Modi Super 300 tournament in India. Danish doubles player Frederik Søgaard, currently 23rd in the world with his partner Rasmus Kjær, had published photos showing courts soiled by bird droppings. Birds were flying under the roof of the room.
Søgaard told TV 2 Sport that the droppings probably came from pigeons present in the enclosure and that the pitch concerned was used as a warm-up area in the same hall where matches were also taking place.
Although these images initially sparked some jokes, Fischer believes that this is a real public health problem. According to TV 2 Sport, the former international advised players to take hygiene precautions in India with the same seriousness as during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
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“I reminded the players that they need to take this seriously and protect themselves as much as possible, because there are bacteria that their bodies are not used to,” Fischer said, according to TV 2 Sport.
He added that although he himself fell ill several times during tournaments in Asia during his career, the conditions visible in these images nevertheless surprised him.
“What is surprising is that such conditions are still being proposed. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect, but at least it has to be clean and correct so that players don’t get sick,” he said.
According to TV 2 Sport, similar problems were already reported earlier in the year during the India Open, where Danish player Mikkel Mikkelsen fell seriously ill. He then mentioned the presence of birds under the roof, droppings on the ground and even a dog having crossed the warm-up area.
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For Fischer, the final responsibility lies with the international body.
According to TV 2 Sport, he stressed that cultural differences must be respected, but that the Badminton World Federation must assume its role and start imposing stricter requirements for the organization of World Tour tournaments.
“I don’t understand how the BWF can accept such conditions for the best players in the world. We have reached a point where something has to change,” concluded Fischer.
Sources: TV 2 Sport, Press Trust of India, The Indian Express, India Today
