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Another day, another disgrace: Falling debris from bird’s nest halts India Open semi-finals | Badminton News – The Tech Word News

January 18, 2026
NEW DELHI: The India Open Super 750 has ceased to be a celebration of world-class badminton. Instead, it became a daily case study of administrative failure. Not a single day of the BWF World Tour’s marquee event at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium was without controversy. The tournament hit a new low on Saturday when the women’s doubles semi-final had to be halted after particles and twigs from a bird’s nest hit the court between points – an episode that summed up the bizarre, avoidable and embarrassing problems that have defined this year’s competition.

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The incident occurred on Court No. 1 during the semifinal between top-seeded Chinese pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning and sixth-seeded South Korean duo Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee. As Liu prepared to serve at 6-3 in the opening game, debris from above fell onto the court. Liu burst out laughing and pointed at the head referee in disbelief rather than amusement. The Chinese couple walked over to their chairs, visibly confused and worried. Lee also looked up at the roof in confusion, trying to understand how the Super 750 tournament had turned into a farce. The umpire called the sweepers to clear the court. Cleaning took several minutes. Officials later confirmed that the particles were indeed material from a bird’s nest. They were picked up and disposed of and the game eventually resumed. “That the semi-final at the premier BWF event could be interrupted by falling nest debris would be comical if it weren’t so damning,” the former Indian shuttler told TOI. “More worryingly, this was not an isolated accident but, as people have seen in recent days, part of a repeating pattern.” Just two days earlier, the pre-quarter final between HS Prannoy and Loh Kean Yew was stopped twice after bird droppings landed on the court. The incident sparked widespread criticism of the playing conditions and raised serious questions about the basic preparation of the pitch. The warning signs were evident even before the tournament took off. Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt complained about “dirty” and “unsanitary” conditions inside the arena. She later posted a photo on Instagram and pointedly questioned whether the venue was suitable for hosting the World Cup later this year. Another Danish shuttler in the world, Anders Antonsen, joined the chorus by questioning the level of pollution in the city and whether it was worth holding the Super 750 tournament in such conditions. “Bird-related violations are particularly indefensible. Indoor badminton arenas are supposed to be controlled environments. The presence of nests inside the stadium is not an act of nature beyond human control; it is evidence of neglected infrastructure and lax maintenance,” said the former India player. “These kinds of problems don’t materialize overnight. They are the result of months, if not years, of oversight failures.”

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