New Delhi, August 24: The Badminton World Championship 2026 concluded successfully on Sunday. The historic bronze medal win by India’s Trisha Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand sparked excitement among local fans. In the midst of this celebration, Sanjay Mishra, Secretary General of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), expressed his happiness over the positive feedback received regarding the tournament’s organization.
In recent years, the BAI faced criticism for hosting the India Open Badminton Tournament. However, for the World Championship, the organization made special preparations and arrangements. This prestigious event took place at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the national capital.
While expressing satisfaction over the successful conclusion of the championship, Sanjay Mishra stated in an interview, “Yes, we did it. All players are happy.” He cited Danish badminton player Mia Blichfeldt as an example, who had criticized the organization and playing conditions during the India Open earlier this year, where the prize money was $950,000. She had also questioned the venue’s conditions last year.
Mishra noted, “The biggest example is Mia Blichfeldt, who was critical last time. This time, she was the first to tweet appreciating our efforts. Not just players, but officials and members of BWF were also quite impressed with the event.”
Earlier on Sunday, Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, President of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), praised Indian badminton fans and the hosting of the championship. She stated that India opened its heart to the world.
In an official statement, Patama said, “I am proud of the fans in India who understand this sport well and cheer for players with great knowledge. I am also proud of a country that welcomed the world with open arms.” She emphasized that this championship, returning to India after 17 years, received appreciation from all sectors of the badminton community.
Patama remarked, “New Delhi gave us a fantastic week. India waited 17 years for this moment, and it made the wait worthwhile. The BWF World Championship 2026 has been praised from every corner of the sports world.”
A few days prior, BWF Secretary Thomas Lund also commended the facilities at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex and the atmosphere created for the competition. He expressed satisfaction with the positive changes in the stadium following previous controversies.
Sanjay Mishra mentioned that BWF officials have highly praised the BAI for the event’s organization. He added, “I was speaking with BWF members. They informed me that messages are coming in from around the world. All messages are positive; we have received no negative feedback.”
To enhance the venue for the championship, the BAI made special efforts. Notably, in response to previous issues with monkeys during earlier events in the capital, special ‘monkey whisperers’ were appointed.
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