World No. 3 Anders Antonsen pulls out of India Open due to 'extreme' air pollution in Delhi

The four-time World Championship medallis paid a fine of $5,000 to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for his decision.

Badminton men's singles world number 3 Anders Antonsen on Wednesday said he pulled out of the ongoing India Open due to "extreme" air pollution in Delhi.

The four-time World Championship medallist paid a fine of $5,000 to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for his decision.

Antonsen's move comes only a day after fellow Dane Mia Blichfeldt criticised the playing conditions at the $950,000 event.

"Many are curious why I have pulled out of the India Open for the third consecutive year. Due to the extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment, I don't think it's a place to host a badminton tournament," Antonsen wrote on his Instagram page.

The player further shared a screenshot of Delhi's Air Quality Index reading on Instagram, which showed 348 and categorised the conditions as hazardous.

Delhi has been grappling with severe air pollution. The national capital's air quality drops every winter due to a number of reasons like vehicular pollution, dust and stubble burning.

The city is often engulfed in a thick layer of smog that has been described as hazardous by doctors.

The India Open is hosted at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium after the Badminton Association of India (BAI) shifted the venue from the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, which hosted the tournament in recent years.

The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium is also scheduled to host the BWF World Championships in August.

"Crossing my fingers that it will be better in the summer when the World Championships take place in Delhi. As a result, BWF has once again fined me USD 5,000," Antonsen wrote.

A top committed player is fined $5,000 (Rs 4.5 lakh) for failing to participate in a BWF World Tour Level 1 to 3 tournaments, over and above the standard withdrawal fees, under the Badminton World Federation Player Commitment Regulations.