NEW DELHI, Jan 18 — Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi captured the men’s singles title at the India Open today, overcoming not only his opponent but also controversial playing conditions that included bird droppings on court and even a monkey appearing in the stands.
NEW DELHI, Jan 18 — Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi captured the men’s singles title at the India Open today, overcoming not only his opponent but also controversial playing conditions that included bird droppings on court and even a monkey appearing in the stands.
The 26-year-old defeated Indonesia’s third seed Jonatan Christie 21-10, 21-18 in just 38 minutes to lift the title at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
In the women’s singles final, South Korea’s world number one An Se-young continued her dominant run by beating China’s second-ranked Wang Zhi Yi 21-13, 21-11. The victory marked An’s sixth straight title since the Denmark Open in October and extended her winning streak to 30 matches.
Despite the high-quality badminton on display, the tournament drew criticism from players over what were described as “dirty and unhygienic” conditions. Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt was among those who voiced frustration, saying the issues were unacceptable for a World Tour Super 750 event.
“Everyone is stressed and frustrated by the conditions we are being met with,” she wrote on social media. “At first you try to laugh it off, but in the end it’s neither funny nor fair to the players or anyone involved.”
Blichfeldt, ranked 20th in the world, was eliminated in the second round.
Problems reportedly occurred throughout the tournament, including a semi-final match that was briefly halted when debris from a bird’s nest fell onto the court. Bird droppings were also spotted on playing surfaces, while television footage showed a monkey entering the spectator area.
Adding to the concerns, Denmark’s world number three Anders Antonsen withdrew from the competition, citing “extreme” air pollution in the Indian capital.
The backlash comes at a sensitive time for India, which is set to host the Badminton World Championships in August and the Commonwealth Games in 2030, and has also expressed interest in staging the 2036 Olympic Games.
Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary Sanjay Mishra acknowledged the issues but said they would be addressed ahead of future events.
“I know there are a few issues, but there’s nothing that we can’t manage,” he told local media. — AFP
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