The 2026 season saw top shuttlers from all across the world in immense action. Beginning with a power-packed Super 1000 tournament, the Malaysia Open, the schedule followed with the Indian Open, a BWF World Tour Super 750 event. But unlike the Malaysia event, the Indian tournament did not go as promised, hindered by several challenges and poor pollution conditions.
Held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, the India Open 2026 failed to provide a clean and safe environment for the participating shuttlers coming from worldwide. The international players were left disappointed by the organisational structure and the unbearable pollution problems throughout the event.
Taking forward the concerns to the higher authorities like the International Olympic Committee (IOC), several international athletes had even lodged complaints to the IOC Athletes Commission, citing risks to health due to hazardous air pollution.
The 2026 India Open was a snippet of the World Championship scheduled to be held in the national capital in the month of August. But the unknown challenges coming into play have raised a big question and concern. The main problem of concern was the air pollution levels in Delhi.
World No. 3 men’s singles player Anders Antonsen from Denmark had withdrawn his participation from the 2026 India Open due to pollution. Meanwhile, some athletes, who travelled to India for participation, complained about the poor playing conditions.
Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt and Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, who were present at the tournament, criticised the ground conditions of the India Open 2026 during their post-match interviews. Both of the players were disappointed by the playing conditions saying that they were unable to play and breathe during the performance. Besides the criticism, Blichfeldt was pleased with the wide area of the Stadium.
Last year, the India Open was held at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, but the venue was changed this time. India, which is expected to host the 2036 Olympics, one of the biggest sports events in the world, has to work. But ahead of that, they have to prepare for the Badminton World Championships in August 2026.
On Monday, September 1, 2025, the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which is a sport’s global governing body, announced that India will host the event in 2026. The event returns to India after 17 years, with the last being held in 2009 in Hyderabad.
