BAI Rejects 'Birds Shitting In India Open Courts' Claim With Curious Statement

Badminton Association of India has denied all claims made by Denmark shuttler Mia Blichfeldt about the playing conditions at the India Open in New Delhi. The Danish world No. 20 labeled the conditions at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium ‘unhealthy’ and ‘not normal’, saying the courts were cold and unhygienic, raising serious concerns about player safety and professionalism at a top-tier international tournament.

However, BAI, in a statement, argued that Blichfeldt’s remarks reflected that the venue was ‘well maintained’. The organisation even said that Blichfeldt was not talking about the ‘main playing arena’, before saying that the international star was ‘more sensitive’ to dust and thus shared a ‘personal perspective’.

“Mia’s comments were made

in a broader context around general playing conditions and personal health sensitivities, and not about the playing arena at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open specifically. She has clearly stated that the competition venue itself is well-maintained. As mentioned in her conversation regarding the warm-up area, it is important to note that she was referring to the KD Jadhav Stadium, which is the training venue, and not the main playing arena,” BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra said.

“As an athlete who is more sensitive to dust and environmental factors, she was sharing a personal perspective on how conditions can sometimes impact her health. The playing arena has been kept clean, dirt-free and pigeon-free, and several players have expressed satisfaction with the conditions at the venue,” he added.

Interestingly, Blichfeldt had clearly mentioned that she had expected the conditions at the new venue to be better than KD Jadhav Hall, where the last edition was held.

However, she felt the problems persisted, particularly the cold temperatures, forcing players to warm up in winter jackets, gloves and multiple layers. She warned that inadequate warm-up conditions increase the risk of illness and injury, which she said was unfair to competitors.

Her concerns were echoed by Canada’s Michelle Li, who said the larger arena feels colder and draftier, while former world champion Ratchanok Intanon noted that the low temperatures make it difficult to be match-ready and hoped for better conditions at future events.