PV Sindhu is set to miss the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham after being stranded in Dubai amid airspace closures following US bombing of Iran and escalating tensions in the Gulf region.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, has been stuck in Dubai since Saturday after flights were suspended. She and her team, including Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, reportedly had a narrow escape after an explosion near their place of stay. They were later shifted to a secure location as the situation worsened.
The Indian star had been scheduled to face Thailand’s Supanida Katethong in the opening round. However, with Dubai airport and airspace remaining closed, she will be forced to withdraw.
Former India coach Vimal Kumar confirmed the development. “I have spoken to Sindhu this evening, and she was really disappointed. She has resigned herself to her fate that she won’t be able to make it,” Vimal said.
“I told her (that) there are good things waiting to happen and she should focus on winning a Super 1000 in the year, or another world championships medal at home.”
He added that Sindhu had even explored travelling by road to Oman before abandoning the plan. “It is tough for an athlete because she was really looking good and her entire team was excited about the All England. She also thought about travelling via road to Oman, but it would have been too risky, so she dropped the plans.”
The Badminton World Federation said it is monitoring the situation closely, maintaining “real-time oversight of the situation and stand ready to assist delegations experiencing delays or route changes.” The governing body added it is reviewing possible contingencies should players face delayed arrivals.
Despite the turmoil, some Indian players have reached Birmingham via alternate routes through Singapore and Africa. Lakshya Sen and rising youngster Ayush Shetty arrived without disruption. Lakshya faces world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi, while Ayush takes on Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan.
In women’s singles, Malvika Bansod meets Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei, while Unnati Hooda—who travelled via Africa after her flight was cancelled—faces Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong.
In men’s doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty begin against Malaysia’s Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai. Women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand face Japan’s Sayaka Hirota and Ayako Sakuramoto.
Only Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand have won the All England title, underlining the scale of the opportunity and the heartbreak for Sindhu this week.
