Korean national team badminton player Kang Min-hyuk (27) had an absurd experience at the India Open.
The Indian Express reported on the 15th (Korea time), "After complaints that bird droppings were falling inside the India Open badminton arena, monkeys were even spotted. Korean men's doubles player Kang Min-hyuk posted on his social media, 'Are animals admitted free of charge?'"
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is currently holding the 2026 BWF World Tour India Open (Super 750) in New Delhi, India. This tournament is drawing more attention because it is being held at the same venue as the world championships in August.
It could also be an important rehearsal for Ahn Se-young, who missed out on the world championship title last year. In the 2025 tournament she was eliminated in the semifinals after losing to her nemesis Chen Yufei (China), and Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) became the ultimate champion.
Ahn Se-young is currently through to the women's singles round of 16 after beating Japan's Nozomi Okuhara (world No. 30) 2-0. Her next opponent is Huang Yu-hsün (Taiwan), ranked 38th in the world. Ahn Se-young, who recently won the Malaysia Open, aims to reach the quarterfinals by overcoming Huang Yu-hsün, who advanced after defeating Kim Ga-eun 2-1 in the round of 32.
However, aside from match play, this tournament has sparked much controversy due to stadium hygiene and air pollution issues that have been pointed out since last year. Critics said last year it was dirty and poorly managed, and nothing has been improved. As a result, players and coaches from several countries have raised the issue again.
This India Open is being played at the larger Indira Gandhi Sports Complex rather than the previous KD Jadhav Stadium. However, among participating players there have been complaints that wind enters and makes the shuttlecock feel faster. During the match between P. V. Sindhu (India) and Nguyen Thuy Linh (Vietnam) on the 14th, there was even an incident where the lights went out.
Monkeys even appeared. Photographer Azlina Dewi posted on social media images showing a monkey entering the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex and sitting in the stands. A monkey roamed freely near where world-class badminton players were competing.
A security guard at the stadium entrance said, "A monkey came into the stands and sat on the stands. It was there for about 10 minutes, but we received a report and immediately removed it. It did not harm anyone. It was not noticed because the surroundings were dark, and once discovered it was quickly removed," he said.
A monkey also appeared at the training venue KD Jadhav Stadium. Kang Min-hyuk, who is competing in men's doubles partnered with Ki Dong-ju, posted a video of a monkey boldly strolling through the stands and added, "Are animals admitted free of charge?" Currently the Kang Min-hyuk–Ki Dong-ju pair advanced to the round of 16 after defeating Taiwan's Li Fang-chi–Li Fang-jen pair in the round of 32.
Seeing this, Azlina Dewi shared the post and exclaimed, "A monkey on the training court???" The monkey reportedly approached spectators and even demanded food. It is evidence that even minimal stadium management is not being properly carried out.
More serious is the hygiene issue. Denmark's women's singles player Mia Blichfeldt lamented, "India's match environment is really terrible. Last year it was dirty and poorly managed, and this year is the same. This place is not an environment where matches should be held. There is bird droppings on the floor, and the air is full of dust. Birds are even flying inside the arena. In this environment the risk of injury is very high. It's so unfair," she said.
China's men's team coach Sun Jun also revealed that one must wear a mask at the venue. He posted on social media, "My throat hurts so much. You have to wear a mask to play," he said. Because of this, men's singles world No. 3 Anders Antonsen (Denmark) chose to forfeit participation in the tournament for the third consecutive year, accepting a $5,000 fine (about 7.34 million won).
[Photos] SNE Sports, dewismashes, Press Trust of India, Badminton Association of India (BAI), Badminton Korea Association/BADMINTO PHOTO.
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