PV Sindhu’s participation in the All England Open is in serious doubt after she was left stranded in Dubai while travelling to Birmingham.
With the tournament set to begin on Tuesday, it is now ‘extremely difficult’ for the Indian shuttler to arrive in time. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary, Sanjay Mishra, said that the association is constantly in touch with her, but the prospects of her resuming her journey appear bleak.
“We are constantly in touch with her. But right now, things are not in our control, and unfortunately, it looks like she might miss the All England. The Badminton World Federation have been very sympathetic, and has assured that they will reschedule any games for players stuck in travel. But as of now, our options are next to nothing,” Mishra said, as quoted by the Indian Express.
Sindhu had earlier posted on her social media handle that she was safe, and Emirates had taken care of all her concerns. However, she added that air attacks and retaliatory strikes mean that there is no way that she can get out of Dubai in the next 24 hours.
Coach Vimal Kumar Cancels His All England Open Trip
Meanwhile, Coach Vimal Kumar, who was scheduled to depart from Delhi for Birmingham on Monday morning, has also cancelled his England trip. Singles player Unnati Hooda has managed to arrive in Birmingham on a flight via Singapore and will arrive in Birmingham a day before the tournament.
“The mixed doubles players have already reached, and Gopi (Pullela Gopichand) is expected to arrive tonight,” Mishra said.
Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with the duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, managed to depart just in time after flying out on Friday. Meanwhile, players such as Malvika Bansod, who had been competing in Germany, confirmed their arrival from mainland Europe.
Why Is PV Sindhu Stranded In Dubai?
Emirates, the airline Sindhu was scheduled to take to Birmingham, is among several carriers that have accommodated stranded passengers, estimated to be close to 20,000, in hotels across Dubai.
Many international airlines have also announced cancellations over the coming days. Dutch carrier KLM has suspended flights until Thursday, while Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa have halted operations entirely, signalling a prolonged aviation disruption.
Asian Shuttlers Navigate Travel Chaos Ahead Of All England Open
Players from India and several Southeast Asian nations were among those hit hardest by the ongoing travel disruption. While several teams scrambled to rearrange their routes, the Thailand and Malaysia squads confirmed that they had arrived in Birmingham without significant trouble.
Indonesia’s national team had the advantage of travelling early, having left on February 24 for a two-day acclimatisation camp in Milton Keynes. Their timely departure helped them avoid the worst of the chaos. The Chinese and Japanese contingents were also largely unaffected, with many opting to transit through European hubs instead of the impacted Middle Eastern routes.
Malaysian independent mixed doubles player Lim Chiew Sin revealed that she had initially planned to travel from Kuala Lumpur via the Middle East but was forced to alter her itinerary. She eventually secured a flight from Singapore to London, followed by a train journey to Birmingham.
“Fortunately I’m playing on Wednesday so thank god I have time to arrive and get some rest because it will be a long journey. Nobody wants war to happen in this world, right?” she said, quoted The Star.
Meanwhile, Jonatan Christie, the Indonesian star who recently turned independent and is no longer travelling with the national squad, boarded a Turkish Airlines flight on March 1. With widespread cancellations, the alternative option of travelling by road from Dubai to Ankara, a journey of nearly 35 hours, was deemed both dangerous and impractical.
The BWF had put out a press release on its official website saying that it is maintaining a close watch on the events unfolding in the Middle East. “BWF is working with the tournament organisers and national associations to assess travel conditions, while our operations teams maintain real-time oversight of the situation and stand ready to assist delegations experiencing delays or route changes. This includes reviewing and preparing potential contingencies within the competition schedule, should any players experience delayed arrival. We will continue to share updates as the situation evolves and more information becomes available,” the federation said.