India Open to be moved to Guwahati for 2028 edition before returning to Delhi: BAI secy

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) The 2028 edition of the India Open, the country’s top event on the BWF World Series, will be held in Guwahati, moving from its present venue, New Delhi, for a year before returning to the national capital in 2029.

The Badminton Association of India secretary general Sanjay Mishra on Sunday announced the decision to move the India Open to Guwahati in 2028. The 2027 edition will be held in Delhi, as will the 2029 edition. Mishra said the reason the India Open is being moved to Guwahati is that that year it will be held towards the end of January, the same time period when Delhi will host the Republic Day Parade.

“The 2028 India Open will be held in the last week of January, and due to the tournament dates clashing with Republic Day security arrangements in the National capital. We felt that only for that year, we should shift the tournament to Guwahati. It will return to New Delhi in 2029,” Mishra said in a statement released by the BAI on Sunday.

Earlier, Mishra expressed happiness over the praise the BAI received from other members of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for successfully hosting the 2026 World Championship in New Delhi.

The BAI has come in for praise for the arrangements it made for the World Championship after copping criticism for the playing conditions at the New Delhi venue for the India Open in the last two seasons.

Asked whether he was happy with the successful conclusion of the World Championship, the BAI secretary general said, “Yes, we have done it. So, all the players are happy,” he told IANS on Sunday.

Mishra invoked the example of a Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt, who had, earlier this year, criticised the playing conditions at the $950,000 India Open for the second year in a row, after questioning the state of the venue last year too.

“The biggest example is Mia Blichfeldt, who was negative last time. She was the first one to tweet and appreciate our efforts this time. And all the players, not only players, officials and BWF members, all of them appreciated it,” said Mishra after the event went off without any glitch.

–IANS

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