Concerns over playing conditions at the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi have come into focus after two players from Denmark spoke about their experiences at the tournament.

While World No. 3 Anders Antonsen withdrew citing air pollution in the capital, Mia Blichfeldt flagged hygiene issues at the venue. This is the third consecutive year Antonsen has skipped the tournament for the same reason.

Antonsen, a four-time World Championships medalist, also revealed that the Badminton World Federation (BWF) fined him $5,000 for not participating in the event.

Explaining his decision in an Instagram story, Antonsen wrote, "Many is curious as to why I have pulled out of the India Open for the 3rd 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. Crossing my fingers that it will be better in the Summer when the World Championships will take place in Delhi. As a result BWF once again has fined me 5000usd".

Under BWF regulations, ‘Top Committed Players’, the top 15 singles players and top 10 doubles pairs, are required to play World Tour 750 and 1000 tournaments and the World Tour Finals unless they have an injury or medical exemption.

Failure to do so attracts fines beyond standard late withdrawal penalties.

The BWF rules allow players to be exempt from participating in on-site promotional activities. World champion and current World No. 1 Shi Yuqi withdrew from the India Open but visited Delhi for a day to carry out promotional commitments.

The tournament has also come under scrutiny over player conditions after Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt raised concerns about hygiene at the venue.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, she said, "I had hoped it would be better than the other hall, but it is still very dirty, really unhealthy conditions for all players. Yesterday [Monday], when I came to the courts, birds were flying around and creating a mess."

Rejecting the player's views, BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra said: "Mia's comments were made in a broader context around general playing conditions and personal health sensitivities, and not about the playing arena at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open specifically. She has clearly stated that the competition venue itself is well maintained. As mentioned in her conversation regarding the warm-up area, it is important to note that she was referring to the KD Jadhav Stadium, which is the training venue, and not the main playing arena.”

"As an athlete who is more sensitive to dust and environmental factors, she was sharing a personal perspective on how conditions can sometimes impact her health. The playing arena has been kept clean, dirt-free and pigeon-free, and several players have expressed satisfaction with the conditions at the venue," he said in a statement.

Former World No 1 Kidambi Srikanth responded to the criticism, saying such issues are not unique to India and occur across international tournaments.

Srikanth said, "I frankly haven’t really read about what she (Mia) said. With my experience, I don’t really see... I think the conditions are fine. I don’t think any bad things are happening."

Recalling his experiences abroad, he added, "From my own experience, back in 2016-17, I had to wait for an hour in between my match in Denmark because the light went out. (HS) Prannoy was telling me he had to play one set on one day and the second set on the following day. These things do happen. It’s just that nobody does it purposely."

According to Central Pollution Control Board data, Delhi's Air Quality Index stood at 354 on Wednesday, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, with several areas recording levels above 300.