Mia Blichfeldt On Playing Badminton In Delhi: “Smog, Birds Shitting On Courts, Dirt”
In what can be called as a major PR disaster for India, Denmark’s badminton star Mia Blichfeldt has sharply criticised the playing conditions at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi, where the India Open Super 750 tournament was held. Highlighting issues such as pollution and poor maintenance, Blichfeldt described the experience as “unhealthy and unacceptable.”
Taking to Instagram after the tournament, she expressed frustration, tagging the World Badminton Federation to draw attention to the matter. “Finally home after a long and stressful week in India,” she wrote. “It’s two years in a row now that I get sick during India Open. It’s really hard to accept that many weeks of work and preparation get wasted because of bad conditions.”
Blichfeldt did not hold back in describing the challenges faced by players. “It’s not fair to anyone that we have to train and play in smog, birds shitting on the courts, and dirt everywhere,” she said, emphasising that the conditions were “too unhealthy and unacceptable.”
Despite the challenging environment, the 26-year-old reflected on her performance, acknowledging her efforts. “I’m happy that I managed to go on court and win my first round and still play a good match in the second round, but I’m far from satisfied,” she added.
Blichfeldt, a seasoned player who clinched gold in women’s singles at the 2019 European Games and the 2015 European Junior Championships, is known for her resilience.
Here is what Mia Blichfeldt wrote on Instagram:
“Finally home after a long and stressful week in India. It’s 2 years in a row now that I get sick during India Open. It’s really hard to accept that many weeks of work and preparing gets wasted because of bad conditions. It’s not fair to anyone that we have to train and play in smog, birds shitting on the courts and dirt everywhere. These conditions are to unhealthy and unacceptable. I’m happy that I managed to go on court and win my first round and still play a good match in second round, but I’m far from satisfied”
