"Scary And Stressful": PV Sindhu Opens Up on Dubai Ordeal Before Skipping Swiss Open

Two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu will skip the upcoming Swiss Open as she continues recovering from a stressful travel ordeal in Dubai. The Indian badminton star had been stranded in the city for three days due to airspace restrictions linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East. In her absence, senior shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth and H. S. Prannoy will lead India’s challenge at the USD 250,000 tournament scheduled to begin in Basel on Tuesday.

Sindhu had earlier withdrawn from the prestigious All England Championships after travel disruptions prevented her from reaching Birmingham in time for the competition. She was scheduled to fly via Dubai but could not continue her journey after flights were affected by regional airspace closures. The restrictions followed military strikes involving the United States and Israel targeting Iran and subsequent retaliatory actions by Tehran, which disrupted travel routes across parts of the Gulf region.

Officials from the Badminton Association of India confirmed that Sindhu would not compete in Switzerland in order to recover from the incident. The BAI secretary, Sanjay Mishra, said the player needed time to regain composure after the difficult experience. According to Mishra, the decision was taken with the athlete’s well-being in mind following the unexpected delays and uncertainty she faced while stranded abroad.

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Sindhu herself described the experience as stressful and frightening, noting that the only option during the ordeal was to remain calm despite the tense circumstances. The Olympic medallist acknowledged that the situation was emotionally taxing and expressed hope that such an experience would never repeat itself. She is now expected to focus on recovery and preparation for upcoming tournaments in the international badminton calendar.

In Sindhu’s absence, Srikanth will open his campaign against Jason Gunawan in the men’s singles draw, while Prannoy faces Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the first round. Other Indian players in action include Tharun Mannepalli, who will meet Kenta Nishimoto of Japan, and Ayush Shetty, who takes on Canada’s Brian Yang. Kiran George will also be in action, facing Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in another opening-round contest.

India will also have strong representation in doubles events at the Swiss Open. The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will face Singapore’s Eng Keat Wesley Koh and Junsuke Kubo. In women’s singles, Unnati Hooda and Malvika Bansod will compete, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela will represent India in women’s doubles. Mixed doubles pairs Dhruv Kapila–Tanisha Crasto and Rohan Kapoor–Gadde Ruthvika are also set to begin their campaigns at the tournament.

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