Play on the India Open badminton match was halted twice on Thursday after chicken droppings had been noticed on Court docket 1 throughout Indian HS Prannoy’s match towards Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, Indian media reported.
The incident stored the highlight on situations on the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium for a 3rd straight day and added to questions over the venue’s preparedness for the World Championships in August.
Play was first stopped within the opening sport when officers rushed in with tissues to scrub the ground, and was halted once more within the third after contemporary droppings had been noticed.
“I believe it was chicken poop,” Prannoy stated after the match.
The disruption adopted different incidents reported on the venue in current days, together with birds flying round on the apply courts and a monkey being seen within the stands.
Whereas the Badminton Affiliation of India (BAI) has defended the situations and preparations to date, Indian media stated Thursday’s episode provides to a rising listing of embarrassments for organisers and factors of evaluation for the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which is monitoring the venue.
Gamers have additionally raised considerations over town’s air pollution and climate situations, with Loh including to the problems flagged through the match.
Earlier this week, Danish participant Blichfeldt raised considerations about what she described as “soiled and unhealthy” situations, calling on the BWF to intervene, a big allegation given the identical venue will host the World Championships scheduled to be held in August, with India set to host the worldwide showpiece for the primary time in 16 years.
Final yr’s India Open was held on the smaller KD Jadhav Enviornment earlier than being moved this season to the bigger Indira Gandhi Stadium, whereas coaching periods proceed to happen on the KD Jadhav Stadium situated round 250-300 metres from the principle enviornment.
Blichfeldt had reiterated her considerations this week, particularly referring to the warm-up halls, saying gamers had been pressured to put on a number of layers resulting from chilly situations and describing the surroundings as unfit for elite preparation.
She additionally raised well being considerations after claiming to have seen birds contained in the warm-up space, together with cases of droppings on courtroom surfaces.
“That’s clearly unhealthy and never regular,” she stated, including that falling sick or getting injured resulting from such situations could be unfair to gamers.
Whereas acknowledging organisers’ efforts, she maintained enhancements had been nonetheless wanted and urged match authorities and the BWF to make sure skilled requirements are met.
