BWF World Championships 2026: Indira Gandhi Stadium Gets Major Makeover After India Open Setbacks

New Delhi, August 6: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has expressed satisfaction with the extensive renovation and cleaning work carried out at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium ahead of the World Championships, saying most of the shortcomings flagged during the India Open earlier this year have been addressed.

The venue came under criticism during the India Open Super 750 tournament in January after players and officials raised concerns over poor hygiene, unclean toilets and the presence of pigeons and monkeys inside the complex.

BWF Events Director (Tournament Operations) Selvaamresh Supramaniam said the governing body had conducted several inspections over the past seven months and found significant improvements at the venue. “We visited the stadium in January, February, April, June and then in the last couple of days. A lot of work has been done,” Supramaniam said.

He highlighted renovations to the toilets, extensive deep cleaning, replacement of damaged seats, sealing and wiring work, replacement of broken ceilings and waterproofing of the roof.

Measures have also been taken to prevent birds from entering or perching inside the arena. An anti-pest gel has been applied to the roof beams to discourage pigeons from settling there.

Supramaniam said the stadium is now in considerably better condition than it was during the India Open, although cleaning and maintenance will continue until the World Championships begin on August 17.

“We are happy, but we still need to keep checking for the next few days on the cleaning that’s being done,” he said, adding that the movement of workers and rain could create fresh cleaning challenges.

The BWF official also said the issue of stray animals had improved significantly. He said he had not seen any pigeons or monkeys inside the stadium during his visits over the previous three days.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has also taken steps to address the presence of stray dogs, with around 60 dogs reportedly removed from the complex. Supramaniam said efforts were continuing to deal with those that remain. Meanwhile, work is also underway to improve the venue’s lighting and overall tournament presentation following criticism during the India Open.

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has brought in consultants from Indonesia who have previously worked on the Indonesia Open and Indonesia Masters to assist with the lighting arrangements.

However, Supramaniam stressed that the primary objective remains ensuring a smooth and trouble-free competition. “Our main focus still is to deliver a tournament that’s free from any problems. Competition comes first. The rest is all show,” he said.