Badminton sensation PV Sindhu’s journey to glory hit a major roadblock Saturday, as she got stranded at Dubai Airport en route to the All England Open. The halt in flight operations, triggered by surging Middle East tensions between Iran and US-Israel forces, has left the Indian star in a bind.
Fresh from her Olympic triumphs—a silver in 2016 Rio and bronze in 2020 Tokyo—Sindhu took to Instagram with a video of the overcrowded airport. Passengers awaited word from UAE officials, her post captioned with the grim update: flights suspended indefinitely.
According to BAI insiders, Sindhu pushed for the earliest flight despite advisories, unlike teammates who arrived earlier. The men’s doubles favorites, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, are safely in Birmingham for the event kicking off March 3 at Utilita Arena. BAI and Emirates are mobilizing to extract Sindhu promptly.
The chaos erupted post-airstrikes by Israel and the US on Iran, with Tehran vowing strikes on Red Sea and Gulf of Aden shipping lanes. This has frozen Dubai Airport and cascaded into widespread disruptions for trans-Gulf flights connecting India to Europe and Africa.
As India’s most decorated shuttler and a past All England podium finisher, Sindhu’s delay tests her resilience. The situation highlights vulnerabilities in global travel amid conflicts, potentially altering tournament dynamics. With the clock ticking, anticipation builds for her safe passage and triumphant return to competition.