The India Open badminton tournament at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here was meant to be a showcase event, a test run for the prestigious World Championships in August 2026. It was supposed to exhibit India’s facilities and preparedness to host marquee global events.

But it ended up making news for the wrong reasons. Instead of women’s singles champ An Se-Young and men’s winner Lin Chun-Yi making headlines, some stray birds and a monkey ended up on the front pages of most newspapers. From bird droppings halting play and a monkey straying into the stands to the withdrawal of Danish shuttler and World No. 3 Anders Antonsen due to Delhi’s hazardous air pollution, the tournament was marred by some bizarre and embarrassing incidents, raising serious questions about India’s readiness to host global events.