A monkey was spotted in the spectator stands at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium during the ongoing India Open badminton tournament on Wednesday, leaving organizers to face further criticism from a tournament that generally has turned into an international embarrassment for the country.
In three separate Instagram stories posted by photographer Azlynna Dewi, a monkey was seen in the stands not far from the courts being used by some of the world’s top badminton players.
“Yes, a monkey entered the spectators’ arena and sat in the gold stand. It was there for 10 minutes, and once we received a complaint, we removed it promptly,” an official said. “The monkey didn’t harm anyone. It is a little dark, so nobody could spot it. When it was spotted, we quickly removed it", said a spokesman of the tournament to the India Express.
The uninvited guest at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium has not been the only problem for tournament organizers. Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt criticised the standards of hygiene at the venue on the opening day, with bird droppings also spotted both in the training arena and the main arena.
World number two Anders Antonsen also posted on social media that the severe pollution in New Delhi forced him to withdraw from the competition, and he was subsequently handed a $5,000 by the BWF (The International Badminton Federation).
Everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong at the tournament, and the gross incompetence of organizers has left sports lovers in the country frustrated.
The host nation, India, was originally supposed to hold the Sudirman Cup in 2023. Due to all events in China getting cancelled in 2021, the Sudirman Cup was moved to Vantaa in Finland, with the 2023 Sudirman Cup going to Suzhou, China. India was selected as the host of the 2026 World Championships due to the transfer of the hosting rights of the 2023 Sudirman Cup.
But in the wake of the events at India Open, the question is now whether BWF (The International Badminton Federation) wants to risk further embarrassment by staging the World Championships in New Delhi.
