New Delhi, 1 March

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu on Sunday described a "tense and scary" ordeal at the Dubai International Airport, where she and her Indonesian coach were stranded after an explosion occurred close to the area where they were staying amid escalating tensions in the Gulf region.

The disruption comes after the United States and Israel launched a major offensive on Iran, leading to retaliatory missile strikes across parts of the Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates.

The developments forced multiple airlines to cancel or reroute flights.

Sindhu, who is scheduled to compete at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham starting 3 March, has been stuck in Dubai since Saturday after flight operations were suspended following airspace closures triggered by missile strikes in the region.

"Once our flight landed in Dubai, events beyond our control began to unfold. Shortly after, the airspace was shut down, and the last few hours have been extremely tense. We could hear the sounds of interceptions overhead," Sindhu told PTI videos.

"A few hours later, there was an explosion very close to where we were holed up at Dubai airport. My coach was barely about 100 metres away when it happened and had to quickly move out of the area. Experiencing something like this in such close quarters truly shakes the very foundation you’re built on," she added.

Her coach, Irwansyah Adi Pratama, also confirmed the incident to PTI, describing it as a narrow escape.

"There was an explosion in airport, so we are stuck here at the moment. They have put us in the hotel, we are okay, but again, there is a little bit of worry at the same time. We want to go to the All England. I hope we can fly out today because Sindhu’s match is on Wednesday," Irwansyah said.

Sindhu said she and her support staff have been moved to a secure location.

"We are all safe now and have been moved to a more secure place, thanks to the tireless efforts of the staff at Dubai Airport and the Dubai authorities," she said, expressing gratitude to the Indian High Commission in Dubai for responding on priority and deploying officials to assist stranded passengers.

Air India announced the cancellation of all its services to and from major Gulf destinations, while Dubai International Airport suspended operations indefinitely due to airspace restrictions.

Meanwhile, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said it was closely monitoring the travel challenges in coordination with Badminton England and national associations.

"The safety and well-being of all athletes, officials and support personnel remain our highest priority,” BWF said, adding that it was reviewing potential contingencies within the competition schedule should players face delayed arrivals.

Most Indian shuttlers have already reached Birmingham, but a few, including Sindhu, remain affected by the unfolding geopolitical crisis.

The top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, men's singles player Lakshya Sen, young shuttler Ayush Shetty, and the women's doubles players Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly have reached.

Among others, Malvika Bansod has also reached, but Unnati Hooda remains in India after her direct flight from New Delhi to Birmingham was cancelled at the last moment.

"I was supposed to travel today around 11, but this morning I came to know that the flight has been cancelled. Now seats are not available in connected flights. I am in touch with BAI, and they are in conversation with BWF to maybe schedule my matches late," Unnati said.

Former India coach Vimal Kumar was also scheduled to depart on Saturday, but learnt of his cancellation shortly before boarding in Bengaluru.

Doubles coach B Sumeeth Reddy will travel via Singapore along with mixed doubles pair Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani.

"There are some players we are trying to send via Singapore, and some have reached. Satwik and Chirag have reached," Badminton Association of India secretary Sanjay Mishra said.