Anders Antonsen of Denmark has withdrawn from the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi for the third straight year, citing “extreme pollution,” the world No. 3 announced on social media on Wednesday.
“Many are wondering why I have pulled out of the India Open for the third consecutive year. Due to the extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment, I don’t think it’s a suitable place to host a badminton tournament,” wrote the 28-year-old. Antonsen added that he hopes conditions improve when the venue hosts the BWF Badminton World Championships in August. “Crossing my fingers that it will be better in the summer when the World Championship takes place in Delhi,” said Antonsen, a winner of one silver and three bronze medals at the world championships.
Anders Antonsen also revealed that the Badminton World Federation has fined him USD 5,000 for his withdrawal.
His decision comes less than a day after compatriot Mia Blichfeldt raised concerns over hygiene conditions at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The India Open was shifted from the smaller KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium to the larger Indira Gandhi venue within the same sports complex. While Blichfeldt acknowledged that the bigger stadium was more appropriate for a World Tour Super 750 event, she said playing conditions remained challenging.
The venue change was partly intended to use the India Open as a test event for the world championships scheduled to be held at the same stadium in August. Blichfeldt is not alone in her concerns, with several players also noting that Delhi’s winter conditions made warming up difficult.
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Responding to the issue, Badminton Association of India secretary Sanjay Mishra clarified that Blichfeldt’s comments were related to the warm-up facilities rather than the main competition arena.
“Mia’s comments were made in a broader context of general playing conditions and personal health sensitivities, and not about the playing arena at the India Open specifically. She has clearly stated that the competition venue itself is well maintained,” Mishra said. “Her remarks regarding the warm-up area referred to the KD Jadhav Stadium, which serves as the training venue. As an athlete who is more sensitive to dust and environmental factors, she was sharing a personal perspective. The playing arena has been kept clean, dirt-free and pigeon-free, and several players have expressed satisfaction with the conditions.”
