NEW DELHI, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Danish shuttler Anders Antonsen, the men's singles world No. 3, said Wednesday he has withdrawn from the ongoing India Open, citing "extreme" air pollution in New Delhi.
The four-time World Championships medalist said the conditions in the Indian capital prompted his decision to pull out of the tournament for the third consecutive year.
"Many is 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 social media platform. "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 5,000 U.S. dollars."
He also shared a screenshot of Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reading, which showed a reading of 348 and categorized the conditions as hazardous.
As per the BWF world rankings for January 2026, Antonsen is world No. 3 in the men's singles. He has previously been ranked world No. 2.
On Tuesday, another Danish player Mia Blichfeldt described the environment in New Delhi as unhealthy.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall AQI of Delhi was recorded at 353 on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. local time.
CPCB says an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good," 51 to 100 "satisfactory," 101 to 200 "moderate," 201 to 300 "poor," 301 to 400 "very poor," 401 to 500 "severe," and beyond 500 "severe plus emergency."
Air pollution in Delhi typically worsens during the winter months. Industrial activity, vehicle traffic and construction are major contributors. ■
