The organisers of the upcoming BWF World Championships in India have taken extensive steps to upgrade the venue, the Indira Gandhi Stadium, to avoid the embarrassment that rocked the India Open earlier this year. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the venue’s owner, learned their lesson the hard way. During the India Open in January, pigeons twice halted a second-round match between HS Prannoy and Loh Kean Yew. Subsequent complaints regarding hygiene and Delhi’s smog left the BAI in a difficult position.
With the BWF World Championships returning to India after 17 years, the organisers are leaving no stone unturned to avoid further controversies. They have put anti-bird measures in place and even roped in monkey whisperers to host the world-class event from August 17 to 23.
The vents have been sealed, wooden doors have been replaced with a double-door entry system, and an automatic outer door has been added ahead of the regular ones. Additionally, a non-toxic gel sourced from the US has been applied around the stadium’s ducting to keep birds and insects away, while portable machines that mimic predatory bird calls have been installed as a final layer of defence.
“The January event, the India Open, gave us our job cut out, so we had to improve things, and we were given this task. We actually started planning from February itself on how we could improve the overall situation of this stadium, as this is a pretty old stadium. The infrastructure is obviously quite old. So, we wanted to refurbish it and present it as something new and improved,” SAI Executive Director Ambar Pratap Singh told reporters.
“So, as you’ve been seeing, it’s not just structural upgrades that have been done, a lot of soft upgrades have also been carried out. One thing I would like you to see is the lake. We have a lake and we have tried to improve it. By the start of the event, you will see a beautiful lake just across the stadium. These are some of the soft upgrades that have been done, along with structural upgrades where the roof was treated and several expansion joints were repaired.
“A lot of chairs are new, and many of them have been refurbished and polished properly. The buildings have been painted. As far as the pigeons are concerned, there was concern inside the arena. We have introduced innovative ways to deal with it.
“It includes machines that have been imported from the US. It also involves a non-toxic gel technology that repels pigeons,” he added.
He said it was a joint effort between SAI, CPWD and BAI, and that the Badminton World Federation was happy with the work done and the condition of the venue.
“Many works have been undertaken together by a newly constituted engineering division. SAI has now come up with a specialised engineering division of its own. The engineering division has taken up some works, while others have been handled by the CPWD. Now, it has been handed over to the BAI. We have given the venue to them, and they will further beautify it, making it ready for the tournament.
“The BWF is pretty happy and satisfied with the work,” he said during a guided tour of the venue for mediapersons, accompanied by BAI Secretary General Sanjay Mishra.
Singh said they are in regular touch with the MCD to keep stray dogs and monkeys away from the venue. Some reports have claimed that specialists who can mimic langur cries will also be on duty. PV SIndhu lauded the effort.
“You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort. So many people are working behind the scenes to make sure India is ready to welcome the world. Our solutions may be uniquely Indian, but so are our warmth, our spirit and our hospitality. Can’t wait for the badminton world to experience it all in Delhi. See you soon!” PV Sindhu posted on X.
“We have introduced double doors and an automatic closing system. Now it is not possible for monkeys to enter the arena. As far as the whole campus is concerned, there can be a possibility of stray monkeys, but we are in touch with the MCD. For dogs also, we are regularly in touch with the MCD. They will do whatever needs to be done and send them to shelters,” Mishra said.
He declined to reveal the expenditure for the renovation, stating that the BWF was satisfied with the court lighting and drift control.
“That (court lighting and drift control) has been handled by specialists from the BWF. These are technical aspects that the BWF has to oversee, so that was sorted out, and they are absolutely satisfied that the drift has been managed.
“At the India Open also, the BWF had no problem with the lighting. There was a little bit of shadow on the court during the India Open. We have resolved it. An expert will come from Indonesia to test the facility, but the BWF is satisfied,” the official said.
“Besides, roof leakages have been sorted out. This is a very old building, and roof leakage was a major issue, but the engineering team has done a wonderful job so far. We have had heavy rains in the past few days, and the venue has been tested.”
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