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Not bird poop but ‘nest materials’ halt another game at India Open Super 750 event

In another controversial moment, the Delhi venue of premier badminton event comes under focus after yet another animal intervention

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 17, 2026 09:55 PM IST

Ground staff clean the court after something fell off the roof of the stadium during the womens doubles semi final match between Chinas Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning and South Koreas Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee (Reuters/ Bhawika Chhabra)

In continuation of the unusual things happening at the India Open Super 750 event, the things went from bad to worse at the women’s doubles semifinal clash between the Chinese duo of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China and the South Korean pairing of Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hi on Saturday.

The Chinese were leading 6-3 in the first game when the match was halted for a few minutes. The officials inspected the surface and then cleaned it. Initially it looked like that bird droppings had fallen again from the ceiling but later officials later confirmed that it was ‘materials from bird’s nest’.

“No, it was not bird dropping or anything like that. It was just some materials that fell from a bird’s nest,” one of the officials said.

This is not the first time that a game was halted due to bird-related issues. Earlier on Thursday, the pre-quarterfinal clash between HS Prannoy and Loh Kean Yew was disrupted twice after bird poop fell on the court sparking widespread criticism of the playing conditions at the event.

Unhygienic and polluted

At the start of the tournament, Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt had complained about dirty training courts and the unhygienic conditions in the arena.

She later posted a picture on Instagram questioning if the venue is fit for hosting the World Championships later in August.

“The past few days in India have been tough – tougher than I honestly expected. I had mentally prepared myself for “the worst” once again, but the conditions surrounding us are simply unacceptable and highly unprofessional,” Blichfeldt posted on Instagram.

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Also Read | India Open badminton: Bird droppings falling on court halts match between HS Prannoy and Loh Kean Yew twice

“We are here to perform and to stay focused on our preparations, both on and off the court. Unfortunately, under these circumstances, it becomes extremely difficult to focus solely on competing and delivering our best performance. Everyone is stressed and frustrated by the conditions we are being met with at a World Tour Super 750 event. At first, you try to laugh off but in the end, it is neither funny nor fair to the players or anyone participating in this event.”

World number 3 Anders Antonsen had also questioned the pollution in the city and if it is worth holding a Super 750 tournament in these conditions.

In another incident, a monkey entered the spectators arena and stayed there for ten minutes seemingly watching the game before it was removed by the stadium security.