PV Sindhu pulls out of All England Championships after being stranded in Dubai amid Gulf tensions
PV Sindhu, along with her team, including Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, has been stuck in Dubai since Saturday
PTC Web Desk: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will miss the All England Championships starting Tuesday after being stranded in Dubai due to the ongoing Gulf tensions following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The resultant airspace closure in the region has disrupted travel plans for athletes across the globe.
PV Sindhu, along with her team, including Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, has been stuck in Dubai since Saturday. Reports indicate that they narrowly escaped an explosion near their accommodation and were relocated to a secure location as tensions escalated. The Indian shuttler was scheduled to face Thailand’s Supanida Katethong in the opening round, but the continued closure of Dubai airspace has forced her to withdraw from the Super 1000 event.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is closely monitoring the situation, offering support to delegations facing delays and evaluating contingency plans for players affected by the travel disruptions. While Sindhu’s participation is uncertain, some international shuttlers have managed to reach Birmingham through alternate routes via Singapore and Africa.
India’s top men’s singles players, Lakshya Sen and rising star Ayush Shetty, have arrived without issues. Lakshya, who earlier finished as runner-up at the event, will face world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China, while Ayush will take on Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in his opening match. In women’s singles, Malvika Bansod opens against Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yufei, and Unnati Hooda, who rerouted via Africa due to a flight cancellation, faces Thailand’s eighth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong.
India’s doubles contingent will see Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty take on Malaysia’s Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai in men’s doubles, while women’s pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand face Japan’s Sayaka Hirota and Ayako Sakuramoto. In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto meet Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, while Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde challenge fifth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue of France.
Historically, only Prakash Padukone (1980) and Pullela Gopichand (2001) have won the All England title for India, with Saina Nehwal (2015) and Lakshya (2022) coming close in recent years.