2026.01.17 07:50
[OSEN=이인환 기자] The 2026 India Open Badminton Championships is receiving more attention due to hygiene issues than performance. This time it was bird poop.
China’s NetEase reported on the 17th (Korean time), “During the men’s singles round of 16 of the 2026 India Open Badminton Championships, which is already a hot topic due to environmental issues, bird droppings fell inside the stadium and the game was halted. During the match between Singapore’s Lo Kean Yu and India’s Pranoi, bird droppings fell on the court.”
What was interesting was the players’ reaction. Home player Pranoi maintained a relatively calm demeanor, but Lo Kean Yu expressed strong displeasure. He was even caught retching on the broadcast screen. To pass it off as a simple incident, this competition was already experiencing repeated ‘hygiene controversies’.
In fact, this is not the first time environmental issues have been encountered in this India Open. From the beginning of the competition, scenes related to stadium management were on the cutting board one after another. A monkey was seen on the broadcast screen watching the game in the stands, while some coaches sat on the bench wearing N95 masks due to concerns about fine dust and contamination. It was a sight rarely seen in international competitions.
The controversy eventually led to player abstention. Denmark’s Anders Antonsen chose to withdraw from the competition due to health concerns and sanitary conditions in the stadium. It is unusual for a world-class athlete to withdraw due to ‘environmental issues’. This is evidence of the great anxiety felt by the players.
With the recent bird poop incident on top of this, criticism of the overall operation of the India Open has become more intense. It is pointed out that it is not simply a one-time management mistake, but a structural problem throughout the competition. In international competitions, players must be guaranteed an environment where they can focus on their best performance, but the prevailing opinion is that the basic conditions have been shaken in this India Open.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) also released an official position on this. “The hygiene and animal care issues raised at the India Open clearly require improvement,” the BWF acknowledged in a statement. He continued, “The Badminton Association of India has taken quick action to provide the best tournament experience to players and officials ahead of the World Championships to be held in August.”
However, the views of players and fans are still cold. The fact that the India Open, which is considered one of the world’s highest-level tournaments, has repeatedly come under controversy due to factors outside of the game can also affect the trust of the entire international badminton community. This is especially true given that hygiene and safety are not a matter of choice, but a basic premise of the competition.
This bird poop incident is not just a laughable incident. A series of scenes involving monkeys, masks, abstentions, and even bird droppings condensate the reality of the India Open. If the ‘environment’, which is as important as performance, is not supported, no matter how spectacular the lineup and high prize money are, it will inevitably lose its shine.
The India Open is now put to the test. Will it be able to break away from repeated controversies and establish itself as a true ‘global competition’, or will it remain a symbol of environmental controversy? The ball is not on the court, but in the hands of the tournament officials.
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[사진] SNE Sports, dewismashes, Press Trust of India, BAI, Badminton Association of Korea/BADMINTO PHOTO. NetEase Capture.
Inhwan Lee ([email protected])
