Badminton World Federation (BWF) secretary general Thomas Lund on 20 August praised the rapid transformation of the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi, calling the venue's overhaul ahead of the ongoing BWF World Championships a remarkable turnaround given the controversies that had plagued it just months earlier.

From Controversy to Commendation

The praise marks a sharp reversal from the situation during the BWF India Open Super 750 earlier this year, when the same venue drew widespread criticism over the state of its playing and practice arenas, as well as pollution levels in the capital. At least one top-ranked player withdrew from that tournament citing these concerns, while several others who competed publicly flagged cleanliness issues.

The problems were not merely administrative — a monkey was spotted in the stands during a men's singles match between India's HS Prannoy and Singapore's Loh Kean Yew, and the same match was halted twice after bird droppings fell onto the court. The incidents drew international attention and embarrassed organisers.

What the Organisers Did Differently

With the BWF World Championships returning to Indian shores after a gap of 17 years, organisers moved decisively to prevent a repeat. Anti-bird measures were installed across the venue, and — in an unusual step — monkey whisperers were brought in to manage wildlife intrusions. A BWF team was reportedly embedded with local stakeholders for an extended period ahead of the event.

'We've had a team here for quite a long time working hand in hand with the local organisation, with Badminton India, with all the stakeholders around it. I'm super impressed to see what has been established at this venue. I know there's been some criticism earlier in the year, but the amount of things that have been done in that really short time in terms of upgrading, some of it was more significant — but I think I'm really impressed,' Lund told reporters.

Stakeholder Credit and Athlete Feedback

Lund specifically credited Badminton India, the government, and all associated stakeholders for the operational improvements. 'I thank Badminton India and all the stakeholders; the government and everybody have actually been behind this with the venue, with the operational detail that they've been able to get right for this tournament,' he said.

Feedback from athletes — including those who had raised concerns during the India Open — has been overwhelmingly positive, according to the BWF official. 'I've only heard really positive feedback from players and everybody that actually were here earlier in the year and had different concerns,' Lund added.

Focus Shifts to the Court

With the tournament entering its knockout stages, Lund urged fans and media to shift attention to the on-court action, describing the matches so far as high-quality and unpredictable. 'We've had fantastic matches... some of the matches that you predicted were kind of not close matches; one side has come out as being super interesting matches, and there are some nice surprises,' he said.

The BWF chief expressed confidence that the Indian organisers had addressed the structural concerns thoroughly enough for the focus to now rest where it belongs — on the shuttlers competing for the world title.