PV Sindhu opened up about the frightening experience she and her support staff endured after being left stranded at Dubai airport while travelling for the All England Open. With tensions escalating in Iran, air travel across the Middle East was thrown into chaos, and major hubs, including Dubai, one of the world’s busiest international airport, were shut for a second straight day in one of the most severe disruptions in recent times.
The extraordinary circumstances ultimately ruled Sindhu out of the prestigious tournament, which got underway on Tuesday. Speaking after her return, Sindhu described the anxiety and uncertainty that gripped her during the ordeal. With transport services suspended and confusion all around, the situation quickly turned alarming. She revealed that her coach even heard explosion-like sounds from his hotel room, adding to the fear and helplessness they felt while waiting for clarity and a way out.
The two-time Olympic medallist detailed the confusion and anxiety she faced after landing in Dubai en route to the All England Open, only to find airspace suddenly shut and flights suspended, leaving her uncertain about what would happen next.
“Initially I was supposed to go to All England, but unfortunately when I landed on the 28th at 1 pm, by 1:15 all flights were suspended. We didn’t know what it was, how it was, or what the situation was going to be. They first told us to wait, then said the flight was delayed, and then that the airspace was closed. It was very stressful at that point when we were at the airport. Just a few hours before I landed, my colleagues – the doubles and some of the singles players – had already taken off from Dubai to Birmingham and reached around 11:45. I kept thinking, if I had gone a little earlier, I would have reached too. But at that point we didn’t know anything. Dubai is one of the safest places and we all love Dubai, so it was very unfortunate that this happened,” PV Sindhu said in a press conference aftee returning to India.
Continuing her account, Sindhu described the disorder that unfolded inside the airport as uncertainty grew, with stranded passengers left waiting for updates before being moved to a transit hotel amid widespread cancellations and mounting confusion.
“When they first said all flights were suspended, we were just sitting at the airport and we didn’t know what was going on. The airport staff kept saying, ‘We’ll let you know,’ and kept us waiting for a couple of hours. Finally they said, ‘Now the airspace is closed, we don’t know when it will open, so for now we’ll take you to the transit hotel.’ The whole process took a lot of time because there were so many people and flights from different countries had been cancelled. It was chaos. We finally got our vouchers and went out, but even then the trains weren’t working, immigration was shut, and they weren’t allowing people to go outside the airport. After a few hours the trains opened and we finally got out and were going to the hotel,” she added.
The 30-year-old added that her coach heard a loud blast barely 100 metres away while they were stranded, forcing people in the vicinity to rush outside in panic.
“My coach was still at the airport and then we got a call from him saying there was a big sound. I don’t know if it was an explosion, debris, a drone or what, but there was a lot of smoke and they had to run outside. The airport authorities arranged transport, took them out and put them in a different hotel. It was terrifying to hear that, because you’re just sitting there and literally 100 metres away there’s a big sound. Obviously it is scary,” she said.
Reflecting on the tense days that followed, Sindhu spoke about the constant fear, repeated warning alerts and the difficult decision to prioritise safety over competing at the All England Open.
“Every day we were watching the news, hearing these big noises five or six times, and we were getting emergency messages on our phones saying, ‘Stay indoors, stay in your hotel, don’t sit near the windows.’ It was terrifying. One side I was missing my tournament, the days were going by, and on the other side I was thinking safety is very important. I tried every possible way to go to All England but nothing worked out. At the end of the day, I feel safety is important,” she added.
“Hats off to Indian Consulate General in Dubai and to our government”
Sharing how she finally made it back home, the ace shuttler expressed gratitude to Emirates, the Indian Consulate General in Dubai and the Badminton Association of India, along with government officials, for coordinating her safe return to India amid the crisis.
“Last night I finally got a flight. I got a call from Emirates and I think the Indian Consulate General in Dubai. They were very kind to accommodate a lot of Indians, they were very helpful, and also the government from here. I’ve been getting calls from Raksha ma’am, from Ramu Naidu sir, from the Sports Minister sir; they called to check on me, how I was and how the situation was. The Badminton Association of India, Sanjay sir, and a lot of people from the association called me, and of course media people messaged to ask if I was safe or not. That’s why I had to put that message out on social media earlier that I was safe, because it was terrifying – we could hear a lot of sounds. It’s good that Emirates got in touch, took our details, called us, we rushed to the airport, got our tickets and we are back in India. Hats off to the Indian Consulate General in Dubai and to our government for coordinating so well and getting a lot of Indians, including me, out from there safely. We have landed safely and by God’s grace everything has been good,” she added.
