‘Extreme pollution in Delhi’: Danish badminton player pulls out of India Open
This is the third consecutive year that he has opted out of the event.
Danish shuttler Anders Antonsen on Wednesday said that he had withdrawn from the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi for the third consecutive year, because of “extreme pollution” in the capital.
Ranked third in men’s singles globally, the player said that the air pollution made Delhi an unsuitable venue for hosting a badminton tournament at this time of year.
This is the third consecutive year that the Danish badminton player has opted out of the Super 750 event.
The India Open began on Tuesday and will run until Sunday. It is being held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Explaining the reason behind his decision in a series of social media posts, Antonsen shared a screenshot from Swiss-based air quality monitoring firm IQAir showing Delhi’s air quality index at 348 on Wednesday, a level categorised as “very poor”.
Air quality in the “very poor” category can cause breathing discomfort even in healthy persons.
Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicular pollution, along with the lighting of firecrackers during Diwali, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.
In his social media post, Antonsen said: “Crossing my fingers that it will be better in the Summer when the World Championships will take place in Delhi.”
The World Championships are expected to be held in Delhi in August.
Antonsen’s comments came a day after fellow Danish shuttler, Mia Blichfeldt, raised concerns about health and training conditions at the ongoing tournament, The Indian Express reported.
Blichfeldt, ranked world number 20, is competing at the India Open and has reached the round of 16.
“I am happy with the court conditions but not the health conditions,” The Indian Express quoted her as saying. “The floors are dirty and there is a lot of dirt on the courts. Also, there are birds flying in the arena, there is bird poop also.”
The Badminton Association of India responded to the criticism, stating that Blichfeldt’s comments were mainly related to the training facilities and not the playing arena.
The association’s General Secretary, Sanjay Mishra, said the main playing arena had been kept clean, dirt-free and pigeon-free, and that several players had expressed satisfaction with the conditions, Firstpost reported.
“As an athlete who is more sensitive to dust and environmental factors, she was sharing a personal perspective on how conditions can sometimes impact her health,” Mishra was quoted as saying.
