New Delhi: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has expressed satisfaction with the extensive renovation and maintenance work carried out at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium ahead of the BWF World Championships, stating that most of the issues raised during the India Open earlier this year have been successfully addressed.
The venue had faced widespread criticism during the India Open Super 750 tournament in January after players and officials highlighted poor hygiene, unclean washrooms and the presence of pigeons and monkeys inside the complex.
BWF Events Director for Tournament Operations, Selvaamresh Supramaniam, said the governing body had conducted several inspections since January and found significant improvements across the venue.
According to Supramaniam, extensive renovation work has been completed, including the refurbishment of washrooms, deep cleaning of the entire stadium, replacement of damaged seating, repairs to wiring and ceilings and waterproofing of the roof. He also revealed that a specialised anti bird gel has been applied to roof beams to prevent pigeons from entering and nesting inside the arena.
He noted that the venue is now in a much better condition than it was during the India Open, although cleaning and maintenance will continue until the World Championships begin on August 17.
Addressing concerns over stray animals, Supramaniam said he had not seen any pigeons or monkeys during his recent visits and credited the preventive measures put in place. He also said the Sports Authority of India has taken action to remove stray dogs from the stadium complex, with most already relocated.
The BWF official added that efforts are also underway to improve the tournament’s presentation, particularly the lighting system, which had drawn criticism during the India Open. Consultants from Indonesia, who have previously worked on the Indonesia Open and Indonesia Masters, have been brought in to enhance the lighting setup.
Despite the focus on improving the venue experience, Supramaniam emphasised that the priority remains delivering a smooth and trouble free World Championships. He said ensuring high quality competition and efficient tournament operations remains the foremost objective, with all other enhancements aimed at supporting that goal.
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