Two-time Olympic medal-winning Indian badminton star P V Sindhu revealed on Tuesday that she struggled to remain calm during the three-day ordeal in Dubai, wishing for it to be the first and last such experience in her life.
Sindhu was stranded in Dubai due to the closure of airspace in the Gulf region following the US and Israeli bombing of Iran and the subsequent retaliation by Tehran. She had to withdraw from the All England Championships in Birmingham after returning to India. She was scheduled to travel to Birmingham via Dubai but could not do so due to travel disruptions.
"Obviously, there was a lot of stress. And it was scary. I think the only thing maybe was to stay calm. I know that's not the ideal situation where you say we are calm, but we're not inside," Sindhu said during a media interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
"Actually, it is very stressful. But I think it is an experience, I must say. And I hope it's the first and the last experience like this way. But yeah, I think we were calm, the whole team was calm."
Sindhu and her team, including Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, had a near escape after an explosion near the Dubai airport. She was scheduled to face Thailand's Supanida Katethong in the opening round but was forced to withdraw from the tournament.
She said she explored every option to travel to the UK to participate in the prestigious tournament, including traveling to Oman by road or to India and taking a circuitous route to reach Birmingham.
"I tried every possible way but there were no flights. And (if I had even taken a circuitous route), maybe I would have arrived by Thursday, so you can't do anything.
"I got a call from Emirates last evening that there were flights to India. I was sad that I couldn't play the tournament. But my safety was very important. My life was very important. So, it's okay now.
"It is a bit sad that I couldn't play. But again it's important to be safe."
Sindhu expressed her gratitude to civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and Raksha Khadse, who serves as the minister of state (MoS) for youth affairs and sports, and the Indian consular general in Dubai for helping her return to the country safely.
The explosion near the Dubai airport was terrifying.
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Sindhu said she and her coach landed at the Dubai airport on February 28 at 1 pm, and within 15 minutes, they were informed that all flights were suspended. This marked the beginning of their ordeal.
"Just a few hours before my arrival, my colleagues, including those in doubles and singles, had already taken off from Dubai to Birmingham. So, it was as if I had arrived a few hours earlier, I would have reached Birmingham," she rued.
Speaking about the explosion, which occurred about 100 meters from her coach, she said: "After waiting for a couple of hours, we were taken to a transit hotel. The entire process took a lot of time because the airport was in complete chaos, with all flights from different countries being cancelled. The trains were also not running, and immigration was closed."
"Then, we finally managed to get out, and we were heading to the hotel when my coach was actually at the airport itself. We received a call from him, and he told us there was a loud sound. I don't know if it was an explosion, debris, or a drone. There was a lot of smoke, and people were running around."
"So, it was terrifying when we heard that loud sound suddenly, about 100 meters away. It was very scary."
Sindhu said even after reaching her hotel, she could still hear loud noises in the sky.
"I also heard those loud noises five or six times while I was inside the hotel, which was very unsettling. We also received emergency messages on our phone, urging us to stay indoors."
"Every day, they kept telling us that the airspace was closed today and tomorrow. So, we didn't know what was going on because on one side, I was missing my tournament, and on the other side, I was just trying to stay safe."
BWF waives USD 5,000 penalty
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The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has waived the USD 5,000 penalty on Sindhu for missing the 2026 All England Open, considering the extraordinary circumstances.
"Generally, when you don't participate in major tournaments like the Super 1000 or Super 750, which feature the top 1 to 15 players in the world, there's a penalty of USD 5,000. But in situations like this, if there's a valid reason, such as injury or unforeseen circumstances, the penalty can be waived."
"This is the first time such a situation has occurred. So, I explained my situation to the BWF, and they agreed to waive the penalty because it's understood that you can't do anything in such a war situation."
Regarding potential loss of ranking points, she said, "I have explained this to them in an email. They will get back to me. This is a very unique situation that hasn't occurred before. It's just me, and it's never been like this."
"They have also asked me to provide my perspective on the matter.
"Being an Athlete Commission member, I will share my views, and they will also explain their side of the situation to me. They will likely respond within a day or two. So, we'll see how it unfolds. We will definitely reach a fair resolution."
The next tournament is the Swiss Open, starting on March 10, and Sindhu said she will try to participate, but she acknowledged that it might be difficult.
"I am trying to secure flight tickets, but most of the flights are going to Dubai, and the tickets are already full. Let's see."
