[Saba Sports News] The BWF World Championships are set to kick off on August 17, less than a month away. Sanjay Mishra, Secretary-General of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), recently pledged that this tournament will not repeat the mishaps that marred last year’s India Open. The previous event was plagued by pigeon droppings, monkey intrusions, dust accumulation and various venue facility defects. Amid surging prices of badminton shuttlecocks, the organising committee will also adopt cost-effective mixed-composition shuttlecocks. Mishra stated that all flaws exposed at the India Open have undergone a full overhaul ahead of the World Championships. He described last year’s India Open as a “test event” and thanked the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Sports Authority of India for carrying out large-scale venue upgrades. Indian media outlets disclosed that the BAI is projected to spend between 150 million and 200 million Indian Rupees (INR) to host this World Championships. To resolve the most troublesome pigeon infestation issue, heavy-duty high-density polyethylene (HDPE) anti-bird netting will be installed beneath the venue’s roof framework. The mesh will block all spaces where pigeons could build nests while preserving natural lighting and ventilation. Mishra added that all existing pigeon nests on-site have been fully cleared. As for last year’s farce involving monkeys wandering into the arena, the previously open overhead access gates have been sealed off and replaced with a three-tier access control system, alongside round-the-clock security patrols. No uninvited wild animals will be able to sneak into the venue again.
Now, every glaring shortcoming from last year’s event—from pigeon waste and monkey nuisances to dusty courts and shuttlecock budget constraints—has been addressed and fixed one by one by the Badminton Association of India. In truth, the BAI has a straightforward goal: to ensure all the spotlight of the World Championships falls solely on badminton itself.