New Delhi: After facing massive backlash during the India Open, the Sports Ministry has directed SAI to draft a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to avoid all the slip-ups that happened in the badminton tournament in New Delhi.
Bird poop on the field stopped play multiple times, and a monkey was also spotted in the stands, while the unhygienic utilities and poor training facilities were also major issues that damaged the tournament and the country’s image on the international level.
SAI (Sports Authority of India) is responsible for the maintenance of five stadiums in New Delhi, including the Indira Gandhi Stadium, which hosted the India Open badminton tournament.
“As much as we would like the National Sports Federations to have the freedom to conduct events but the fact is when something goes wrong, it is always the sports ministry which becomes answerable in public eye. So, it is only fair that the ministry is involved at the planning stage itself,” a well-placed source told PTI.
“So, an SOP will be formulated to ensure that every event being held in India is planned properly with zero scope of athlete discomfort, especially for international participants. Ministry will keep a tab through this mechanism,” he added.
Many international players, including Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt, spoke about the discomfort while playing at the India Open, demanding better facilities for the world championships, which are scheduled to be played at the same venue in August.
The ministry has a limited role in conducting the events in India, and mostly provides just financial assistance. But with India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics at stake, the Sports Ministry is planning to have a more proactive role going forward.
“We cannot afford to be reactive, cannot wait for things to unravel and then step in. An SOP will be handy in overseeing things from the preparatory stage,” the source said.
SOP likely to be formed in few weeks
It is still not clear when the SOP will be formulated, but it is expected that it will be drafted in a few weeks. This decision was taken during Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s meeting with SAI officials to seek an explanation for the India Open mess.
“The aim is to ensure that universal standards are met. The focus of the SOP would be venue cleanliness and security, accessibility, and maintenance of utilities so that neither the athletes nor the fans have any unpleasant experience,” the source said.
In 2026, India is set to host the Asian Weightlifting Championships in April in Ahmedabad and a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver athletics meet in Bhubaneswar in August. Ahmedabad will also be hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and is aiming to conduct the 2036 Olympics.