New Delhi: The 30th BWF World Championships are set to get underway here at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Monday, August 17. Ahead of the curtain-raiser, the unpleasant experiences players endured at the India Open Super 750, held at the same venue in January, still linger.

Indian hospitality and organisational capabilities had come under severe scrutiny as pigeon droppings halted matches mid-game, monkeys made their way into the playing arena, and pollution became a cause of concern for players, resulting in several withdrawals.

Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt had called the environment “unacceptable and highly unprofessional”, citing dirty courts and freezing warm-up areas, while questioning India’s ability to host a major event.

Seven months on, with international shuttlers back in India, the situation is markedly different. The administrators’ painstaking efforts have helped transform the IG Indoor Stadium into a world-class venue, with players acknowledging the transformation and expressing satisfaction with the environment.

“To be honest, it is a lot better than the last India Open and this environment is good for all the players,” Malaysian shuttler Aaron Chia, who reached the semifinals at the World Tour event in January, told Sports Now.

Fellow Malaysian player Tee Kai Wun said, “This is a greatly organised tournament compared to the India Open.”

The Badminton Association of India, the organiser of the Worlds, and the Sports Authority of India, which maintains the stadium, have gone to extraordinary lengths: applying non-toxic slippery gel to prevent pigeons from perching over the courts; deploying specialised machines imported from the US that mimic the sound of predatory birds; installing reinforced glass doors to prevent unauthorised entry during matches; and deploying four trained men who mimic langurs to intimidate the monkeys.

Karupathevan Letshanaa, the Malaysian women’s singles player, also praised the overall environment. “I came here two days ago and found it quite good. The environment is much better than before, so I am looking forward to my matches.”

Given the size of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, she said, “There is quite much drift. But we are used to it, and I think it is manageable. It is pretty similar to what we experience in Malaysia, so it does not make much big difference for me.”

France’s Christo Popov, one of the medal contenders, echoed Letshanaa’s assessment. “There is some drift and we prepared for that. I think most players will try to adapt to that. And players who manage it better will do better,” he said.

Japanese Nozomi Okuhara, the 2017 world champion and a frequent traveller to Indian events, has had her share of experiences at the Odisha Open, Syed Modi India International and India Open. She faced logistical issues in Cuttack, with her hotel not booked, and was scammed in New Delhi by an airport taxi driver.

Now back in New Delhi, she is pleased to see a marked improvement.

“Last time I came here in around January. If you compare the environment about this preparation, I think it is very good. The environment and all the preparation are better than before. You have done a lot of improvement this time,” Okuhara told this website.

“If you talk about the Japanese standard, it is not matching, but compared to last time it is better. I can see you are making a lot of efforts,” she added.

Reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi, however, said temperature control remains an issue, with the weather outside hot and humid. “They must control the temperature inside the area well. It is pretty warm, raising the body temperature for the players,” said Yamaguchi.

The on-court lighting in the arena, which received so many complaints from players and technicians for creating uneven spotlighting at the India Open, has improved as well, with the BAI hiring Indonesian Open lighting experts to make sure the lighting is perfect.

Asked about the lighting arrangement at the venue, Letshanaa, who was the first reserve at the India Open, said, “It is much better than when I came for the India Open. The playing hall and lighting everything looks good.”

Indonesian men’s doubles player Fajar Alfian, meanwhile, is fascinated by the sheer size of the IG Indoor Stadium.

“The lighting is similar to Indonesia. But it is a big stadium here, Istora Senayan (Indonesia’s main badminton venue) is not that big. We hope we can afford a stadium like this,” he said.

The entire stadium complex, as well as the playing arena, has undergone several changes to enhance the overall experience. New asphalt roads have been laid, while the water park inside the complex has been revived as part of the beautification process. The upgrades also include new seats, improved signposts, new wooden flooring for the courts, and waterproofing of the stadium roof to ensure it can withstand the rainy season.

Bulgaria’s Stoeva sisters – Gabriela and Stefani – have been won over by their Indian experience. The European Championships gold medallists trained at the National Centre for Excellence in Guwahati for two weeks leading up to the World Championships.

“We had been to India many times for tournaments but never for practice. In Guwahati, we had an interesting experience. We met so many young players. For us, it was a nice experience to train at the academy and also with young players,” said Stefani.

Asked about the atmosphere at the Delhi Worlds, Stefani said, “I found it amazing and the main venue looks really nice. We did not play at the January India Open. So I do not know how the venue and all the preparations were. But I can see here the organisers have worked really hard and everything is on a high level for the World Championships. Every player can see here in India they put pretty much effort to make everything very nice and good for all the players.”

As the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium takes centre stage, it offers India a chance to showcase its hosting credentials as the country bids for the right to host the 2036 Olympics.