India Open 2026: Materials from bird’s nest stop women’s doubles semi-final match | Badminton News

In continuation of the unusual things happening at the India Open Super 750 event, the things went from bad to worse as the the women’s doubles semifinal clash between the Chinese duo of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China and the South Korean pairing of Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hi on Saturday.
The first game of the match was halted as something fell from the top. The umpire called the sweepers to clean it and it looked like that it is bird poop again.
However, upon confirming it with the officials, it turned out to be materials from a bird’s nest. The materials were picked up with tissue and dispose.

This is not the first time that a game was halted due to bird-related issues. Earlier on Thursday, the pre-quarterfinal clash between HS Prannoy and Loh Kean Yew was disrupted twice after bird poop fell on the court sparking widespread criticism of the playing conditions at the event.
Unhygienic and polluted
At the start of the tournament, Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt had complained about dirty training courts and the unhygienic conditions in the arena.
She later posted a picture on Instagram questioning if the venue is fit for hosting the World Championships later in August.
“The past few days in India have been tough – tougher than I honestly expected. I had mentally prepared myself for “the worst” once again, but the conditions surrounding us are simply unacceptable and highly unprofessional,” Blichfeldt posted on Instagram.Story continues below this ad
“We are here to perform and to stay focused on our preparations, both on and off the court. Unfortunately, under these circumstances, it becomes extremely difficult to focus solely on competing and delivering our best performance. Everyone is stressed and frustrated the conditions we are being met with at a World Tour Super 750 event. At first, you try to laugh off but in the end, it is neither funny nor fair to the players or anyone participating in this event.”
World number 3 Anders Antonsen had also questioned the pollution in the city and if it is worth holding a Super 750 tournament in these conditions.

In another incident, monkey entered the spectators arena and stayed there for ten minutes watching the game before it was removed the stadium security.
Expand   © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd