Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt has criticized the conditions of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the venue for the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament, and described the pollution levels in the national capital as “unhealthy and unacceptable.”
She expressed her frustration, stating that it is “not fair to anyone.”
The world no. 23 had suffered from a stomach infection but managed to push through to the second round before succumbing to a 21-13 16-21 8-21 defeat against China’s Wang Zhi Yi.
“Finally home after a long and stressful week in India. It’s the second year in a row that I’ve fallen ill during the India Open,” Blichfeldt shared on Instagram.
“It’s extremely difficult to accept that weeks of hard work and preparation go to waste due to poor conditions. It’s unfair for us to have to train and compete in smog, with birds defecating on the courts, and dirt everywhere,” she added.
“These conditions are simply too unhealthy and unacceptable. @bwf.official. I’m proud that I was able to step onto the court, win my first-round match, and put up a good fight in the second round, but I am far from satisfied.”
Following her defeat on Thursday (January 16, 2025), Blichfeldt informed the BWF media team that she had been vomiting all night and struggled to even make it onto the court for her second-round match the next day.
“Tuesday (January 14, 2025) night was a nightmare. I couldn’t sleep due to constant vomiting. I am extremely fatigued now, and my body feels drained,” Blichfeldt revealed.
“It’s a tough situation for me, but I am pleased with my performance yesterday and today, although I wish I could have been at full strength. This all started on Tuesday (January 14, 2025) evening. It required a lot of mental strength to step onto the court.
“It’s incredibly frustrating when you dedicate yourself to training for these tournaments, only to be hindered by external factors like this.”
Published – January 18, 2025 05:54 pm IST
