New Delhi: Indian badminton star PV Sindhu, who was stranded at the Dubai International Airport, said on Sunday that she has been securely moved to a hotel and is safe at present.
The double Olympic medallist was travelling from Bengaluru to Birmingham via Dubai to participate in the All England Open Badminton Championships that begins on Tuesday. But all flights flying in and out of the United Arab Emirates were cancelled after the conflict broke out in West Asia on Saturday.
“Once our flight landed in Dubai, events beyond our control began to unfold and shortly after the airspace was shut down. The last few hours have been extremely tense. We could hear the sounds of interceptions overhead and a few hours later there was an explosion very close to where we were holed up at Dubai airport,” Sindhu said.
“My coach was barely about 100m away from where it happened and had to quickly move out of the area. Experiencing something like this from such close quarters truly shakes you. You never expect these things to happen to you or anyone close to you, but sometimes situations are beyond your control. Everyone stayed calm, supported one another and showed real strength during a very frightening situation.”
Tensions escalated when the United States of America and Israel launched a major offensive on Iran who responded with retaliatory airstrikes with blasts reported from across West Asia where the US military has bases. The developments forced multiple airlines to cancel flights.
Sindhu was travelling with her coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama. The former world champion is scheduled to play her first round against Supanida Katethong of Thailand on Wednesday.
“Currently we are safe now and have been moved to a more secure place,” added Sindhu while thanking Dubai authorities and airport staff, Emirates airlines and the Indian High Commission in Dubai for their “extraordinary support”.
“When I reached out requesting assistance, the High Commissioner immediately responded and on high priority notice deployed his team to help us. They have been incredibly supportive, not just to me but to everyone stranded here ensuring safety, coordination and constant communication during a very difficult time. For now, we’re trying to get some rest and remain hopeful as the situation continues to unfold.”
Meanwhile, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said that they are monitoring the situation as not just Sindhu but many players have been affected who may not be able to reach Birmingham on time because of these flight cancellations.
“BWF and Badminton England are closely monitoring the travel challenges arising from the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East. We remain in regular contact with teams and players whose journeys to Birmingham may be affected,” said BWF.
“BWF is working with the tournament organisers and national associations to assess travel conditions, while our operations teams maintain real‑time oversight of the situation and stand ready to assist delegations experiencing delays or route changes. This includes reviewing and preparing potential contingencies within the competition schedule should any players experience delayed arrival. We will continue to share updates as the situation evolves.”
Not just Sindhu, Unnati Hooda and U Vimal Kumar have also been affected by the geopolitical situation in West Asia as their flights from New Delhi and Bengaluru to Birmingham were also cancelled.
However, Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Malvika Bansod, the doubles pairings of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty and Gayatri Gopichand/Treesa Jolly have already reached the English city.
Coach B Sumeeth Reddy and doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani have decided to fly via Singapore.
Basketball team safe too
The Indian basketball team is also stranded but importantly safe in Doha. They were in Qatar to participate in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers which concluded on Friday.
“The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) confirms that the Indian senior men’s national basketball team is safe and secure in Doha. BFI is working closely with government authorities, the international body and the Embassy of India, Doha to ensure their safe return,” BFI said in a statement, adding that the team is currently unable to proceed with its travel due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
