Pollution forced me to pull out of India Open: World No.3 Antonsen

NEW DELHI: World No.3 Anders Antonsen on Wednesday said he has withdrawn from the ongoing India Open due to "extreme" air pollution in the national capital and copped a USD 5,000 fine from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for his decision.

A four-time World Championships medallist, Antonsen's remarks came a day after fellow Dane Mia Blichfeldt criticised the playing conditions at the USD 950,000 event.




"Many are curious why I have pulled out of the India Open for the third consecutive year. Due to the extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment, I don't think it's a place to host a badminton tournament," Antonsen wrote on his Instagram page.

The Danish shuttler also shared a screenshot of Delhi's Air Quality Index reading on Instagram, which showed the AQI at 348 and categorised the conditions as hazardous.

Delhi's air quality drops every year during winter due to varied reasons that include vehicular pollution, stubble burning and road dust. The city is often engulfed in a thick layer of smog that has been described as dangerous by doctors.

The India Open is being held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium after the Badminton Association of India (BAI) shifted the venue from the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, which hosted the tournament in recent years.

The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium is also scheduled to host the BWF World Championships in August, making the India Open a designated test event.

"Crossing my fingers that it will be better in the summer when the World Championships take place in Delhi. As a result, BWF has once again fined me USD 5,000," Antonsen wrote.

Under the Badminton World Federation Player Commitment Regulations, a top committed player is liable to a USD 5,000 fine (Rs 4.50 lakh) for failing to participate in a BWF World Tour Level 1 to 3 tournaments, over and above the standard withdrawal fees.

BWF has declined to make any comments on Antenson's assertions.



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