PV Sindhu had been scheduled to open her campaign today against Thailand’s Supanida Katethong but was unable to make her way to Birmingham as flight cancellations and regional security fears escalated amid tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Sindhu said in a post on X on Tuesday that she had managed to return to safety in Bangalore, while she would have preferred to open her campaign at the All England tournament.
The Indian badminton ace went through a scary ordeal over the weekend as an explosion went off in the Dubai Airport close to where she was located with her coach.
“The ordeal continues to unfold, and the situation is becoming more frightening by the hour. A few hours ago, there was an explosion close to where we were holed up at the airport,” she wrote on Instagram.
She said her coach narrowly avoided the worst.
“My coach ran out of the area as he was closest to the smoke and debris. It was an extremely tense and scary moment for all of us.”
Sindhu later updated her fans by assuring that the team had made it to safety, praising airport workers and Indian officials for remaining calm in the process for remaining calm.
“We are all safe now, thanks to the tireless efforts of the staff and authorities at the Dubai Airport. A special thanks as well to the Indian High Commission in Dubai for their support and constant assistance in helping keep us safe,” she said.