We are in the process of finalising an Olympic bid. And it is something our Honourable Prime Minister is very upbeat about. Yet, when it comes to staging events, we still leave a lot to be desired. In the ongoing India Open badminton in New Delhi, multiple players have mentioned to my colleague Gargi Raut that the facilities are below par.
Gargi reported that the washrooms were filthy and unusable. She even sent us photographs, and it was clear that these aren’t facilities that are remotely adequate for an international event. While the Badminton Authority of India (BAI) did get the stadium cleaned four times between December 24 and now, the maintenance is such that every two days, things get clogged and the washrooms become unusable.
The point here is not to blame anyone. In fact, that is never the intention. The point is that India is on show. International stars are here to play, and this is not the impression we want to create.
Also, this is not the first time. In December 2023, in Lucknow, we had pigeon waste on the courts and India looked bad. In Guwahati, players had put out tweets saying the water in the hotel rooms was all muddy and black. Something as basic as brushing their teeth turned out to be an ordeal.
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On a positive note BAI has taken a number of initiatives to integrate fans and get them close to the action in Delhi. Such initiatives, reported on by Gargi, are a welcome addition. Just if we get the basics right can the tournament be so much better.
Each of these things has happened in India during BWF tournaments in the last 18 months. May I also say that the BWF too needs to do better. These are premier tournaments, and just last week, courts in Malaysia had water all over during a rain shower. HS Prannoy’s match had to be stopped and rescheduled. For a Super 1000 tournament, it was unacceptable. And now, the filthy toilets in Delhi. From the standpoint of the sport, these aren’t good advertisements, and the BWF can surely do better.
Coming back to India, we really need to be more vigilant and careful. Hygiene is essential and unless we get the basics right, our ambition of hosting an Olympic Games will remain a pipe dream. The India Open 750 is now an annual feature, and one wonders why we can’t get the fundamentals in place. I was even told that rooms which are under lock and key in the KD Jadhav Stadium are in a horrible state. Once the tournament is over in a couple of days, there is little chance of any improvement.
Having just come back from Australia and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, I can say that spectator comfort is something that is paramount. Public toilets in Melbourne and Sydney were squeaky clean, and none of us had issues. The media enclosure had washrooms, which were regularly serviced, and no one had a complaint. Such things are basic in international sport, and there is no doubt we need to do better.
I also hope this is taken as constructive criticism and not looked upon as stirring the hornet’s nest. As someone deeply invested in Indian sport, I want my own to do better. And the India Open is a matter of great pride. By not getting the basics right, we end up doing a great disservice to ourselves.
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