Sindhu could miss All England as she’s stranded in Dubai due to Middle East crisis
P V Sindhu has been stranded in Dubai since Saturday as flights are cancelled due to the Iran-Israel attacks.
P V Sindhu has been stranded in Dubai since Saturday as flights are cancelled due to the Iran-Israel attacks.
P V Sindhu has been stranded in Dubai since Saturday as flights are cancelled due to the Iran-Israel attacks.
India’s ace badminton player P V Sindhu is likely to miss the prestigious All England Championships starting in Birmingham on Tuesday. The two-time Olympic medallist has been stranded in Dubai following the escalation of a Middle East crisis.
Sindhu and her team have been stuck in Dubai since Saturday, after flights were suspended following the US and Israeli missile attacks on Iran and the subsequent retaliation.
Sindhu was expected to take on Thailand’s Supanida Katethong in the opening round of the Super 1000 event. Still, with flight services suspended, she is likely to remain in Dubai and be forced to withdraw from the event.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is reportedly keeping a close watch on the developing situation in the Middle East by “reviewing and preparing potential contingencies within the competition schedule should any players experience delayed arrival”.
Meanwhile, other Indian stars, Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty, reached the venue without any travel worries. Former runner-up Lakshya will take on world No 1 Shi Yu Qi of China, while Ayush is up against Indonesia's Alwi Farhan in the opening round.
In men's doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are paired against Malaysia's Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai in the first round. The women's doubles pair of Kerala’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichandwill face Japan's Sayaka Hirota and Ayako Sakuramoto.
Only two Indians have won the event, namely Prakash Padukone (1980) and Pullela Gopichand (2001). Lakshya was runner-up in 2022, while Saina Nehwal finished second in 2015.