All posts tagged: Badminton Association of India

IGI Stadium fully renovated for BWF World Championships: BAI secretary

IGI Stadium fully renovated for BWF World Championships: BAI secretary

Published by Webster

After drawing criticism over the state of facilities during the India Open earlier this year, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Thursday said the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium has undergone a complete renovation and is ready to host the “best-ever” edition of the BWF World Championships. The India Open came under scrutiny after players raised concerns over the condition of the venue, including its cleanliness, training facilities and air quality. The tournament also witnessed unusual disruptions, with matches briefly halted due to bird droppings and even a monkey entering the spectator stands. The controversy erupted after Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt criticised the condition of the warm-up and practice areas at the K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall and the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium during the India Open, drawing attention to the poor state of the facilities. “We’ve worked on every issue that came up then, and I’m happy to say those problems have been resolved completely. I’m confident this will be one of the best World Championships ever,” BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra told PTI on …

Major venue revamp for world badminton in Delhi

Major venue revamp for world badminton in Delhi

Published by Parlour News

New Delhi: Following severe criticism during the India Open in January, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has given the assurance that the Indira Gandhi arena here has been renovated and ready to host the BWF World Championships in August. Workers clean the premises of the stadium during the fourth day of YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2026 at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, January 16, 2026. (Hindustan Times) Working with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and sports ministry, BAI has addressed the infrastructure and hygiene issues that plagued the annual tournament. BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra expressed confidence in the venue’s upgraded status, saying, “The issues that came up during the India Open have been rectified and I am confident this will be one of the best World Championships in every aspect, whether it is the infrastructure or the players’ experience.” The Super 750 event sparked international controversy when matches were repeatedly halted due to bird droppings on the courts besides monkeys being spotted in the stands. Though no dogs …

BAI to implement BWF’s 3×15 scoring system from July onwards

BAI to implement BWF’s 3×15 scoring system from July onwards

Published by Webster

In a proactive step to keep Indian badminton ahead of the curve, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) will implement the new Badminton World Federation (BWF) 3×15 scoring system across the domestic circuit from July 2026, starting with the Yonex-Sunrise All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament, scheduled to be held at the Regional Sports Centre, Ernakulam, from July 7 to 14, 2026. The move is aimed at ensuring Indian shuttlers transition seamlessly into the new format, adapt early to its tactical and physical demands, and sustain the success and competitive edge that have defined India’s rise as a badminton powerhouse globally. Under the revised format, matches will continue to be played as best-of-three games under rally-point scoring, but each game will now be played to 15 points instead of 21. A two-point lead remains mandatory from 14-all, with games capped at 21 points, where the next point becomes decisive at 20-all. The shorter format is expected to increase intensity, accelerate momentum shifts and place greater emphasis on tactical precision and quick decision-making. The change will …

No Lakshya Sen for Thomas Cup semis; Ayush-Srikanth-Prannoy need two wins, before Satwik-Chirag play 5th rubber | Badminton News

No Lakshya Sen for Thomas Cup semis; Ayush-Srikanth-Prannoy need two wins, before Satwik-Chirag play 5th rubber | Badminton News

Published by Webster

2 min readMay 2, 2026 04:00 PM IST Ayush Shetty will play first singles against World No 4 Christo Popov hoping to stop the French juggernaut, and keep his Thomas Cup record intact. Lakshya Sen will miss the semifinal tie. He had landed on his elbow and taken a thudding impact while going for a shot on Friday against Chinese Taipei. But it is yet unclear if his absence is owing to that. “Lakshya is dealing with a swollen playing arm—particularly around the elbow—after his fall in yesterday’s match against Chou Tien Chen. He is also struggling with blisters on his feet. This is certainly a setback for India. Let’s hope we can still win two singles matches today,” coach Vimal Kumar said. Ayush last played the WTF champion Popov at Hylo Open and lost in the semis, earlier in the European swing. However his game and confidence have evolved since, and he will shoulder the burden of the singles start. Kidambi Srikanth will play Alex Lanier while HS Prannoy takes on Toma Jr Popov. …

Time for debutants Ayush Shetty, Devika Sihag to step up to Thomas and Uber Cup challenge

Time for debutants Ayush Shetty, Devika Sihag to step up to Thomas and Uber Cup challenge

Published by Webster

The Asian Team championships in February were a disaster for India. However, a rejuvenated Lakshya Sen and a hungry PV Sindhu will want to make amends at the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals to be held in Horsens, Denmark from April 24 to May 3. Sen is in good nick since the All England, and Sindhu who missed the Birmingham meet after being stranded at Dubai in transit, will want to take a shy at the big names in the TUC, akin to badminton’s team World Cup. The Indian men won the Thomas Cup making history in 2022, a feat that many reckon wasn’t as celebrated as it ought to have been. But the core of that team – Sen, HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth in singles, as well as India’s best performing international shuttlers, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty – around the Top 5 mark, would want to give it their all in what could be a last shy at title No 2 for the seniors. The men’s section is terribly hard to crack, …

‘He can’t comment on the conditions here while sitting in Denmark’: BAI gen secy after Anders Antonsen pulls out of India Open | Badminton News

‘He can’t comment on the conditions here while sitting in Denmark’: BAI gen secy after Anders Antonsen pulls out of India Open | Badminton News

Published by Webster

With the India Open coming under the scanner after Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt and had Anders Antonsen criticising the conditions with the latter even pulling out of the tournament citing ‘extreme pollution’ in New Delhi, Badminton Association of India general secretary Sanjay Mishra opened up about the recent controversies. Talking about World no. 3 Antonsen’s withdrawal, Mishra said to ANI that “I had a chat with the BWF. He (Danish shuttler Anders Antonsen) can’t comment on the conditions here while sitting in Denmark. Can I talk about Denmark’s conditions sitting here in India? Actually, he is a committed BWF player. The BWF committed players have to mandatorily play these big tournaments. His reason for withdrawal was not accepted by BWF and he was fined.” He also talked about the issues pointed out by Blichfeldt on Tuesday, where she called out the playing and training conditions at the IG Indoor Stadium, where the 2026 edition of India Open is being hosted – at a bigger arena compared to KD Jadhav Indoor stadium inside the same complex, where …

After bird-poop complaints, monkey spotted at India Open badminton | Badminton News

After bird-poop complaints, monkey spotted at India Open badminton | Badminton News

Published by Webster

A day after a Danish player complained of bird-poop littering around the venue, a monkey sighting was reported at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex hosting the India Open badminton Super 750 tournament. In three separate Instagram stories posted by photographer Azlynna Dev, a monkey was seen in the stands not far from the courts being used by some of the world’s top shuttlers. The uninvited simian entry was confirmed by a security official guarding the gate. “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.” Korean men’s doubles player Kang Min Hyuk posted a video of another monkey at the KD Jadhav Indoor hall, the designated training venue. The Korean shuttler wrote a caption: “Are animals (given) free admission?” On Day one, Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt had criticised ‘unhealthy’ …

Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2026 moves to IG Indoor Stadium as tickets go on sale

Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2026 moves to IG Indoor Stadium as tickets go on sale

Published by Webster

The Yonex-Sunrise India Open will be staged at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi for the first time when the tournament returns from January 13 to 18, 2026, marking a significant upgrade in venue capacity and spectator experience. The move to the IG Indoor Stadium, which can accommodate over 8,000 fans, represents a major scale-up for India’s premier international badminton tournament. The expanded venue more than doubles the seating capacity of the previous arena and reflects the growing profile of the event on the global circuit. Tickets for the 2026 edition are now on sale, priced from INR 400 onwards, with premium seating capped at INR 1,750. The organisers have also introduced a phased early-bird discount structure, allowing fans who book in advance to avail discounts of up to 50 per cent. Tickets are available exclusively online through the tournament’s official ticketing partner. Organised by the Badminton Association of India under the aegis of the Badminton World Federation, the tournament is part of the BWF World Tour Super 750 category. The event offers …

Tickets introduced at India Open with eyes on 2026 World C’ships: BAI

Tickets introduced at India Open with eyes on 2026 World C’ships: BAI

Published by Webster

Delhi: The India Open Super 750 has introduced a paid online ticketing system in history. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has so far hosted the premier badminton event with free entry for fans but has now introduced a ticketing system this year as part of its plans. BWF mandate India will be hosting the 2026 Badminton World Championships and the guidelines of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) mandate paid ticketing for the fans. “We will be hosting the 2026 Badminton World Championships and the plan is to tap into the large fanbase of badminton with his move,” Sanjay Mishra, Secretary of the Badminton Association of India, told The Bridge in an exclusive conversation. “BWF mandates paid ticketing for fans during World Championships. So the plan to introduce it during the India Open is part of our plans,” he added further. BAI has partnered with Ticmint as the ticketing platform and close to 3,000 tickets have been sold for the first day of the event. “We want to use this opportunity to see how this …

BAI terms news of Tan Kim Her returning as Satwik/Chirag coach as premature

BAI terms news of Tan Kim Her returning as Satwik/Chirag coach as premature

Published by Webster

The news that Malaysian coach Tan Kim Her, known for creating the pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, is set to return as the pair’s coach has been making the rounds for the past couple of days. As reported by TOI, the Malaysian is expected to return to the country as the coach of Satwik/Chirag and will also guide the other doubles pairs in the country. Tan was India’s doubles coach from 2015 to 2019 before putting in his papers due to personal reasons. World number seven men’s doubles pair Satwik and Chirag are without a coach after Mathias Boe left after his contract ended in August post-Paris Olympics. The pair has yet to return to action at the BWF World Circuit after their quarter-final loss at the 2024 Paris Olympics, as Satwik is recovering from an injury. However, the Badminton Association of India took to social media on Friday to dismiss the news as premature, and the contract sent to Tan Kim Her has yet to be accepted. Apart from Tan, Indonesian coach …