WORLD NO. 3 Anders Antonsen in men’s singles, has withdrawn from the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi, citing extreme air pollution, and has been fined $5,000 by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for his decision.
This is the second year running that the four-time World Championships medalist has dropped out of competing at the $950,000 tournament, his decision coming a day after fellow Dane Mia Blichfeldt had raised concerns over the unhygienic playing conditions at the $950,000 tournament.
Explaining his decision on Instagram, Antonsen posted: “Many is curious to why I have pulled out of the India Open for the 3rd consecutive year. Due to the extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment I don’t think it’s a place to host a badminton tournament. Crossing my fingers that it will be better in the summer when the World Championships will take place in Delhi. As a result BWF has once again fined me 5000usd.”
He also shared a screenshot of Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI), which showed a reading of 348, categorised as hazardous.
Delhi’s air quality deteriorates during the winter months due to a combination of factors, including vehicular emissions, stubble burning and road dust, often leaving the city covered in dense, unhealthy smog.
The India Open is being staged at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium after the Badminton Association of India (BAI) moved it from the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, which hosted the tournament in recent years. The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium is also set to host the BWF World Championships in August, making the India Open a designated test event.
Under BWF Player Commitment Regulations, a top committed player is subject to a $5,000 fine for failing to take part in BWF World Tour Level 1 to 3 tournaments, in addition to standard withdrawal penalties. The BWF has declined to comment on Antonsen’s claims.
Meanwhile, in another setback for the event, the world No. 1 men’s doubles badminton pair Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho withdrew from their first match at the India Open due to injury. The Korea Badminton Association announced Wednesday: “Seo Seung-jae sustained a shoulder injury during the Malaysia Open Super 1000 quarterfinals, leading the pair to withdraw from the India Open.”
The pair, who tied the record for the most single-season wins (11) alongside An Se-young last year, are regarded by some as the greatest ‘combination’ in men’s doubles history.
