Players praise revamped IG Stadium ahead of BWF Worlds

International shuttlers have praised the transformed Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi as the BWF World Championships begin on Monday, August 17. The venue faced sharp criticism during the India Open in January over pigeon droppings, monkey intrusions, and poor lighting. Times Now reports that the Badminton Association of India and the Sports Authority of India have applied non-toxic gel to deter pigeons, installed reinforced glass doors, deployed machines that mimic predatory bird sounds, and employed four men trained to mimic langurs to scare away monkeys.

Malaysian player Aaron Chia said the environment is "a lot better than the last India Open." Japanese world champion Akane Yamaguchi noted temperature control remains an issue, calling it "pretty warm." National Herald reports that the Chinese contingent, including world No. 3 Wang Zhi Yi and Olympic gold medallist Chen Yufei, gave the venue a thumbs-up after training. Former world champion P.V. Sindhu defended the monkey-whisperer solution on social media, comparing it to Wimbledon's use of a hawk. The refurbishment cost nearly Rs 20 crore, according to National Herald.