India’s double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has described a “scary and tense” ordeal in Dubai, where she remains stranded after flight operations were suspended amid the ongoing conflict in the region. Sindhu, who was en route to the All England Open Badminton Championships, said she heard explosions close to the airport, prompting her coach to seek safety due to smoke and debris.
Sindhu was travelling to Birmingham for the prestigious tournament, which begins on Tuesday, with Dubai scheduled as a transit halt. However, uncertainty now surrounds her arrival after flights were suspended at Dubai International Airport on Saturday following explosions across parts of the Gulf region, as Iran reportedly launched a salvo of missiles in response to escalating tensions.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Sindhu detailed the frightening situation, revealing that explosions were heard close to the area where passengers had been waiting inside the airport. She added that her coach had to quickly move away from the site because he was closest to the smoke and debris.
“The ordeal continues to unfold, and the situation is becoming more frightening by the hour. A few hours ago, there was an explosion close to where we were holed up at the airport. My coach had to quickly run out of the area as he was closest to the smoke and debris. It was an extremely tense and scary moment for all of us,” she wrote.
In the same post, Sindhu confirmed that they are now safe and have been moved to a more secure location. She expressed gratitude to the Dubai Airport staff, local authorities, and the Indian High Commission in Dubai for their assistance.
“We are all safe now and have been moved to a more secure place, thanks to the tireless efforts of the staff at Dubai Airport and the Dubai authorities. A special thanks as well to the Indian High Commission in Dubai for their incredible support and constant assistance in helping keep us safe. For now, we are trying to get some rest and hold on to hope as we wait for things to settle,” she added.
With the All England Open set to begin in just two days, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) was approached for comment on any contingency plans. However, the governing body declined to issue a statement outside business hours, according to Reuters.
