Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu will miss the England Championships, which begin here on Tuesday, after being stranded in Dubai amid the US bombing of Iran and subsequent closure of airspace in the Persian Gulf region.
Travel disruptions marred preparations for the Super 1000 event Sindhu has been stuck in Dubai since Saturday after flights were suspended following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliation by Tehran.
Sindhu and her team, including Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratam, had a narrow escape after an explosion near their residence. They were subsequently moved to a safe location as tensions flared in the Gulf.
The Indian ace was due to face Thailand’s Supanida Katethong in the opening round but will be forced to withdraw from the tournament as Dubai’s airspace and airport remain closed.
The BWF is also closely monitoring the situation, maintaining “real-time surveillance of the situation and standing ready to assist delegations experiencing delays or route changes.”
“This includes reviewing and preparing potential contingencies within the competition schedule in the event that any player experiences a delayed arrival,” it said.
While Sindhu’s participation remains uncertain, some of her fellow shuttlers managed to reach Birmingham via alternative routes, including Singapore and Africa. However, it remains to be seen how long and arduous travel will affect their preparations.
LAKSHYA TO LEAD THE INDIAN CAMPAIGN
India’s top men’s singles contender Lakshya Sen and rising youngster Ayush Shetty reached without any travel issues. While Lakshya has drawn world number one Shi Yu Qi of China, Ayush will face Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the opening round.
For Lakshya, a former semi-finalist and runner-up, it will be another tough test against Shi, against whom he has lost four of his five previous matches against the Chinese.
Ayush, the US Open Super 300 champion, will be looking to turn the tide against Farhan, who has lost three of his five encounters, including the last at the Indonesia Masters in January.
In the women’s singles, Malvika Bansod faces a tough opening challenge against Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China.
Unnati Hooda, whose flight was canceled on Sunday and had to travel via Africa, will have to overcome jet lag when she takes on Thailand’s eighth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong in her opener.
In the men’s doubles, Satwiksaraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the former world number one, will spearhead India’s challenge against Malaysians Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai in the first round.
The women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who have made it to the semi-finals in the 2022 and 2023 tournament, will face Japan’s Sayaka Hirota and Ayako Sakuramoto.
In the mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto take on Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, while Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde take on fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue of France.
Prakash Padukone (1980) and Pullela Gopichand (2001) remain the only Indians to win the All England title. Apart from them, only Saina Nehwal (2015 runner-up) and Lakshya (2022 runner-up) have come close in recent years.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
02 March 2026 14:28 IST
