Watch: 'Bird droppings' interrupt Prannoy-Loh India Open badminton match, add to organisers' woes

New Delhi: "Bird droppings" forced two stoppages during the men's singles second-round match between H S Prannoy and Singapore's Loh Kean Yew at the India Open Super 750 here on Thursday, compounding a growing list of organisational concerns at the tournament.

The unusual interruptions occurred on the third day of the event at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, already under scrutiny following complaints related to playing conditions, air quality, extreme cold and a monkey being spotted in the stands earlier this week.

Prannoy's match against former world champion Loh was first halted when the Indian was leading 16-14 in the opening game. It was stopped again early in the decider, with Prannoy ahead 1-0.

On both occasions, tournament officials entered Court 1, the main television court, to clean the playing surface after what appeared to be bird droppings fell from the ceiling.

"It was bird shit that kind of halted the game," Prannoy said in the mixed zone after his 21-18, 19-21, 14-21 loss.

Loh, the 2021 world champion, did not speak about the interruptions but spoke about pollution being an issue.

"Everyone's stamina just dropped like two levels. The weather is not good. My health dropped quite a bit. I breathe less. I wear my mask when I can. I stay indoors as much as possible, but that's the only thing that I can do," he said.

The stoppages initially left spectators and commentators puzzled, with the chair umpire abruptly raising his arm to suspend play. Officials soon followed with tissues and wipes to clean the affected area.

While Prannoy went to towel down during the break, Loh was seen looking up at the ceiling before approaching the net. After noticing the floor, the Singaporean looked disgusted.

The second disruption came shortly after the start of the deciding game, again requiring brief cleaning before play resumed.

"I don't know if it was bird dropping, the halt was just for 30–40 seconds they took to wipe the floor. I don't know if it is a major thing to worry about. I haven't seen any birds inside so far, it is a minor small thing," former India coach Vimal Kumar, who was watching the match from the stands, said.

"Ninety percent of the tournament venues, barring the ones in China, are grossly neglected," he said.

Vimal was impressed with the field of play but said cleanliness is something which can be improved.

"One thing is, we organise such big events, why can't we have good toilet facilities? Stadium maintenance is very important. It is not the job of the Badminton Association of India or organisers," he added.

The incident follows a series of complaints from players at the tournament.

On Tuesday, Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt voiced her dissatisfaction with what she described as poor health conditions at the venue, while compatriot Anders Antonsen announced his withdrawal from the event for a third consecutive year, citing "extreme pollution" in a social media post.

On Wednesday, organisers were further embarrassed when a monkey was spotted in the stands during competition, underlining the operational challenges affecting the tournament.