However, the BWF backed the IG Stadium as the venue to host the World Championships in August. “The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has engaged with players and teams during India Open 2026 to review conditions at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi,” the governing body said in a statement. The BWF said that the move ‘provides greater space for athletes and officials and meets BWF’s Field of Play requirements for hosting the BWF World Championships’. Story continues below this adHosting the India Open in Delhi came in for criticism last year as well, from Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt criticising the pollution in the city. World No.3 Anders Antonsen said in an Instagram post that he had pulled out of the India Open because of the ‘extreme pollution in Delhi’.

Source: Indian Express January 16, 2026 05:47 UTC