Seyoung Ahn. [AFP=연합뉴스]
The international badminton competition being held in India has recently been receiving international criticism. This is because the game is being held in an unsanitary environment that can hardly be considered an international competition. Meanwhile, a world-class athlete gave up participating in the competition and began to criticize. On the other hand, Ahn Se-young is moving step by step toward the throne of the competition despite adverse conditions.
The Times of India, which covers Indian news, announced on the 16th (Korean time) that Danish badminton player Andes Antonsen will not participate in the tournament due to extreme air pollution in Delhi. Antonsen is a top badminton player ranked 3rd in the world. He recently participated in the Malaysia Open (Super 1000) and then came to Delhi, India to participate in the India Open (Super 750), but did not participate due to ‘playing conditions’.
The seriousness of the situation was proven by Antonsen himself. He posted a photo showing Delhi’s air quality index on his social media. It showed a risk level of 348. He said, ‘Many people are curious as to why I decided not to participate in the India Open for the third year in a row. This is due to serious air pollution in Delhi. ‘I don’t think Delhi is a suitable place to host a badminton tournament,’ he pointed out.
Antonsen reportedly received a fine for absenteeism from the competition. According to Hindustan Times, the world’s top 15 singles players and top 10 doubles players are required to participate in World Tour 750, World Tour 1000 events and World Tour Finals unless there is an injury or medical reason. However, even if you do not participate in the game, you may be exempt from the fine regulations if you participate in on-site promotional activities.
Multiple local media reported, ‘Anton Sen was fined $5,000 (7.36 million won) by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) after deciding not to participate in the tournament.’ Antonsen does not seem to be convinced by this decision. He wrote, ‘I hope the situation (around) will improve when the World Championships are held in Delhi (this summer).’
This is not the first time criticism has been raised regarding the India Open. Bird droppings fell on the stadium, and a foreign journalist posted a picture of a monkey sitting on a stadium seat on social media, which became a hot topic. Danish player Mia Blickfeld complained to local reporters, “It’s so dirty. It’s a really unsanitary environment for the players. When they come to the stadium, birds fly around and make a mess.”
In these adverse conditions, ‘Badminton Empress’ Ahn Se-young is cruising towards winning the competition. He recently reached the top of the Malaysia Open and is currently in the quarterfinals of the India Open. After defeating world number 30 Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) in the round of 32, she defeated world number 38 Hwang Yu-shun (Taiwan) in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, he will face world number 6 Putri Kusma Wardani (Indonesia).
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