New Delhi: Following criticism regarding venue standards during the India Open earlier this year, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) confirmed on Thursday that the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment and is fully prepared to host the "best-ever" edition of the BWF World Championships.

The India Open faced intense scrutiny after competitors voiced concerns concerning the state of the venue, highlighting issues with hygiene, training amenities, and air quality. The event also suffered unusual interruptions, including brief match stoppages caused by bird droppings and a monkey straying into the spectator seating area.

The dispute escalated after Danish player Mia Blichfeldt publicly criticised the condition of the warm-up and practice courts at the K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall and the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium during the tournament, bringing international focus to the neglected facilities.

"We've worked on every issue that came up then, and I'm happy to say those problems have been resolved completely. I'm confident this will be one of the best World Championships ever," BAI Secretary General Sanjay Mishra told the Press Trust of India during the draw ceremony for the global tournament, which commences in New Delhi on 17 August.

"I would especially like to thank the Sports Ministry and SAI because they’ve worked very hard. Under the guidance of our president, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, all the preparations are progressing well," he added.

Mishra noted that the India Open functioned effectively as a trial run ahead of the flagship World Championships, enabling organisers to pinpoint deficiencies and resolve them well ahead of time.

"The stadium is almost ready for the tournament. The India Open was essentially a test event for the World Championships. If we hadn't conducted that test event, we wouldn't have known what difficulties we were likely to face," he remarked.

According to Mishra, the premises have been comprehensively upgraded, featuring newly renovated walls, lavatories, and flooring, while a team of Malaysian lighting specialists has been engaged to manage the installation of court illumination.

"The biggest change is the complete renovation of the stadium. The walls, toilets and floors have all been refurbished. We've even brought in Malaysian lighting experts to handle the lighting. There weren't any major complaints about the lighting last time, but even then, we've invited some of the world's best experts in this field," he said.

"They will set up the entire lighting system, after which the BWF will inspect and approve it before the final court-specific lighting is installed. I believe anyone who saw or played at the India Open will find this stadium completely transformed this time," Mishra stated.

PTI