PV Sindhu Stuck at Dubai Airport Amid Middle East Tensions: 'I Am Safe'
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New Delhi, Feb 28 (NationPress) Two-time Olympic champion and badminton star PV Sindhu found herself stuck at Dubai Airport on Saturday while heading to Birmingham, England, as flight services were halted due to rising tensions between Iran and the US-Israel alliance. Despite the situation, she reassured her followers that she is safe and remains optimistic for a resolution soon.
Sindhu is on her way to compete in the prestigious All England Badminton Championship scheduled for March 3-8. She took to her Instagram story to express her gratitude for the support and messages from her fans.
"I am safe right now. Thank you to everyone who has been messaging and checking in; it truly means a lot," she shared on her Instagram story.
"Hearing the interceptions overhead and witnessing everything unfold in real-time is difficult to comprehend. Dubai Airport is incredibly chaotic, with numerous families stranded, and we are all just hoping for a swift resolution," Sindhu added.
"I pray for peace and safety for everyone impacted," Sindhu mentioned in her post on Instagram.
Her flight was redirected back to Dubai Airport due to threats of attacks from Iran towards American and Israeli interests in the area.
Earlier, she shared a video on her Instagram story depicting a packed airport where travelers anxiously awaited updates from authorities in the United Arab Emirates regarding the resumption of flights. The former World No. 1 in women's singles captioned the video, 'All flights suspended until further notice.'
According to sources from the Badminton Association of India (BAI), "PV Sindhu was all set to travel to the All England but got stuck in Dubai. We are in contact with her and Emirates. Other players have already arrived, but Sindhu chose to fly today and took a morning flight. We expect the issue to be resolved soon."
Meanwhile, reports confirmed that men's doubles team Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have successfully reached Birmingham for the event to be held at the Utilita Arena Birmingham from March 3-8.
The escalating crisis in the Middle East intensified after airstrikes by Israel and the US on Iran, prompting Tehran to threaten attacks against maritime interests in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. This situation has significantly disrupted air travel across the region, impacting routes to Europe and Africa.
Dubai Airport has suspended all operations indefinitely, leading to widespread cancellations of flights from India to Europe and Africa, as many transit through Dubai and the Gulf area.