'Every Country Has Its Own...'! Kidambi Srikanth Jumps To India Open's Defence After Mia Blichfeldt's Criticism Of 'Playing Conditions'

Last Updated:January 14, 2026, 16:23 IST

Srikanth mentioned he hadn't seen her remarks in detail but found the conditions at the venue acceptable based on his own experience.

Kidambi Srikanth. (X)

Former world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth defended the playing conditions at the ongoing India Open on Wednesday, stating he has not encountered anything negative at the venue, and minor organizational issues are common across different host nations.

Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt had caused controversy on Tuesday by criticizing the conditions at the Indira Gandhi Stadium complex, describing the environment as “unhealthy" and calling for the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to intervene ahead of the World Championships later this year at the same venue.

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Srikanth, who progressed to the second round with a hard-fought victory over compatriot Tharun Mannepalli, expressed confusion over the complaints.

“I don’t know, see every country has its own conditions," said Srikanth, the 2021 World Championships silver medalist.

“In Singapore, there’s a lot of drift. In Malaysia, probably a little less. Earlier in Indonesia, it used to be very compact and fast before renovation. Every country has its own challenges."

When asked specifically about Blichfeldt’s comments, Srikanth mentioned he hadn’t seen her remarks in detail but found the conditions at the venue acceptable based on his own experience.

“I haven’t really read the note that she spoke. But I feel the conditions are fine. I didn’t see anything bad happening," he said, recalling past disruptions on the international circuit.

“In 2016 or 2017, I had to wait for about an hour between my match in Denmark because the light went out."

The 32-year-old also cited an incident involving H S Prannoy, who had to complete a match over two days.

“Prannoy was just telling me, he had to play his match the following day. He played one set on the first day and then the second set the next day."

“So, these things do happen. Nobody does it deliberately. Every country wants to do it really well. These things happen rarely, I don’t know why everyone’s complaining about it."

Blichfeldt had commented that while the courts were satisfactory, the overall environment remained a concern.

“I am happy with the court conditions but not with the health conditions," she said on Tuesday.

The Badminton Association of India moved this year’s India Open Super 750 from the KD Jadhav Hall to the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium as preparation for the World Championships, which India will host in August after 17 years.

France’s world No. 7 Christo Popov acknowledged some issues but emphasized the importance of adaptation.

“It is not the best conditions, but we are adapting. It is also a test event for organizers and players for the World Championships," he said after reaching the second round, where he will face Srikanth.

World No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, however, expressed no issues with the conditions.

“I feel so excited to play in the new stadium. It’s very nice. It’s difficult to control the shuttle. I think it’s a beautiful place and I have many fans and very good guys and yeah, I enjoy when I play in India."

BAI Secretary General Sanjay Mishra stated that organizers are doing their best to meet players’ expectations.

“It is like a test event for us, to learn for the World Championships. It’s cold in Delhi, yes, so we are providing heaters. Players are appreciating it. We should not just go by one player’s comment; she might have been sensitive," he said on Tuesday after Mia’s comments caused a social media storm.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

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