Epic mess: India Open gets things wrong at every step

A poorly managed tournament has shown why India need to get professional about hosting events

- Sandip Sikdar

Workers seen cleaning the premises of IGI Stadium on Friday during the India Open badminton tournament.

(Sanchit Khanna/HT)

The action at the $950,000 India Open has been nothing short of captivating but that is only if you have been able to look past the cold, the pollution, the monkeys, the pigeons, the bird droppings and the complaining players.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand engaged in an unbelievable 103-shot rally against China's Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min — the tournament's longest yet — on Thursday. Reigning Olympic champion ‘An Se Young has put on many mesmerising displays. Former world champion Loh Kean Yew has been putting in those massive jump smashes of his as well.

But the focus has instead been on the poor management that has grabbed not just the attention of the domestic media but also garnered international scrutiny. It all started on Tuesday when Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt, world No.20, complained about the general cleanliness, birds and their excreta at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall — the training venue of the tournament.