Top Danish shuttlers hit out at poor air quality at India Open in Delhi

The prestigious Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2026 badminton tournament, which began in Delhi on Tuesday, is under the spotlight for the wrong reasons, with men’s world no. 3 Anders Antonsen of Denmark pulling out at the last minute due to severe air pollution. The Dane’s announcement on Instagram went viral barely a day after fellow Dane Mia Blichfeldt, flagged the playing conditions.

“Many are curious why I have pulled out of the India Open for the 3rd consecutive year,” Antonsen wrote on his Instagram page, sharing a screenshot of Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI). ‘’With the extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment, I don’t think it's a place to host a badminton tournament. Crossing my fingers that it will be better in the summer when the World Championships will take place in Delhi,” he added. The Dane also shared that the Badminton World Federation (BWF) has fined him $5000 for his last-minute withdrawal.

Winter is particularly notorious for Delhi's dangerous AQI levels, making it bad publicity for the BWF World Tour Super 750 event, which the Badminton Association of India (BAI) shifted to the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium this year from K.D. Jadhav Hall for a better stadium experience. This, however, did not stop Blichfeldt from describing the conditions as ‘’unhealthy’’ and ‘’unprofessional’’.

“I actually hoped it was going to be better than the other hall,” Blichfeldt was quoted as saying to PTI. “I think it’s still very dirty and really unhealthy conditions for all the players. Everyone is warming up in two layers of pants and winter jackets and gloves and hats.”

“It’s not good warm-up preparation for a player who has to go on court and move fast and go in splits. I know everyone is doing their best to make the conditions better for the players, but I think there is still a way to go,” the European star said.

Responding to Blichfeldt's comments, BAI general-secretary Sanjay Mishra defended the playing arena, stating that the Danish women’s star was referring to the K.D. Jadhav Stadium. “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,” Mishra said.

“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 serves as the training venue and not the main playing arena,” he claimed.

‘’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.