Bird Poop Disrupts India Open

An unusual interruption disrupted the India Open badminton match between HS Prannoy and Loh Kean Yew after bird droppings landed on the court at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

The second-round encounter was halted for the first time when Prannoy was leading 16–14 in the opening game. Play was stopped again later in the match for the same reason during the third game.

The incidents occurred just two days after the Badminton Association of India (BAI) stated that pigeons were present only at the practice courts.

Prannoy and Loh, the former world champion and eighth seed, were locked in a high-intensity contest when officials were forced to pause play to clean the court.

While courts are routinely wiped at players requests, and referees intervene immediately in cases such as blood spills, stoppages caused by bird droppings are extremely rare, especially during a major venue.

After the match, which Prannoy lost in three games, the Indian player confirmed the reason behind the interruptions. “I think it was bird shit which halted the game,” he said. However, Prannoy chose not to criticize the playing conditions.

The India Open has faced increased scrutiny over conditions at the venue. World No. 2 Anders Antonsen withdrew from the tournament, citing Delhi’s pollution crisis and stating that the city is not suitable for hosting badminton tournaments at this time of year.

Loh Kean Yew also raised concerns, saying he experienced breathing issues while in Delhi. The Singaporean player said he had been wearing masks and limiting outdoor exposure due to hazardous pollution levels over the past month.

Concerns over hygiene had earlier been raised at the training venue, the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall. Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt complained about bird droppings at the facility, calling it unclean for the second consecutive year.

Following the criticism, the tournament was moved from the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall to the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, which is also scheduled to host the World Championships later this August.