Sindhu recalls getting stranded in Dubai amid West Asia conflict; targets Swiss Open as return after missing All England competition

NEW DELHI: India’s two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu reflected on the horrors of staying stuck in Dubai while on her way to UK for the All England Open, which caused her to miss the competition, saying that while she is sad due to not being able to play, staying safe was much important to her.

Sindhu, who was supposed to feature in the All England Open competition in Birmingham starting from Tuesday, was stuck in Dubai following a crisis which started due to a sharp escalation in West Asia after Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites. The operation triggered retaliatory strikes by Iran and airspace closures in several countries, including Iran and Iraq, disrupting major international air corridors.

Speaking during a presser felicitated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Sindhu recalled that when she landed at Dubai on February 28, she soon found out that flights were suspended and the airspace was also shut down.

“I was supposed to go to All England, but unfortunately, you know, when I landed on the 28th, you know, at 1 pm, I landed and at 1.15, you know, all flights were suspended. And, we did not know what it how it was and what it was and what the situation was going to be because they told us to wait for some time. And then they said the flight was delayed,” she said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: On the US-Israel vs Iran conflict, Indian badminton player PV Sindhu says, “… Initially, I was supposed to go to England, but unfortunately, when I landed on the 28th of February, the war also started, and flights were suspended… It was very… pic.twitter.com/NcZPiAKgaQ

— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2026

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“And then they said the airspace was closed. So it was like, what was happening? It was very stressful. At that point in time, you know, when we were at the airport, it was completely different at some point because, you know, when I landed, and just a few hours before, my colleagues, like the doubles and some of the singles players, actually took off from Dubai. So they did transit in Dubai, and they took off from Dubai to Birmingham, and they reached around 11.45 at Birmingham,” she added.

Sindhu said that had she gone a few hours before, she would have reached Birmingham as well along with rest of the Indian players and called the entire ordeal as “unfortunate”.

She also said that while there was uncertainty over when the airspace would be opened, she, along with others stranded, were to be taken to a transit hotel, but the process was lengthy because there were so many people at different terminals and flights from various countries were cancelled.

“So it was chaos. It took some time. But finally, we actually got our vouchers to the hotel. But people were not allowed to go outside the airport because it was so crowded and they just shut completely, and after some hours, they opened. Finally, we were going to the hotel. My coach was at the airport itself, and I got a call from him that there was a big sound, do not know if it was an explosion, debris or a drone, and also there was a lot of smoke, causing them to run outside. Airport authorities arranged transport for them and put them in a different hotel,” she said.

“It was terrifying because when we heard that (about the explosion), all of a sudden, you are sitting and 100 meters away, you know there was a big sound. It is scary right? So we went to the hotel, and it was a long process,” she added.

The World Champion badminton star also said that she was keeping up with the news and could also get those emergency messages on her phone, urging everyone to stay indoors, inside their hotels, avoiding getting near their windows.

“So it was terrifying. But every day, you know, they kept saying, you know, the airspace is shut today, the airspace is shut tomorrow. So we did not know where what what was going on because on one side, I was missing my tournament and on the other side, the safety was important. But I had tried all ways to go to the All England, but it could not happen. Nothing was in my hand. Nothing worked out. Sadly, I missed the tournament, but at the end of the day, safety is important,” she added.

She also hailed the Indian Consulate in Dubai for helping out Indians with accommodation. “Also, the government was also helpful. I got calls from the sports minister (Mansukh Mandaviya), Raksha ma’am (MoS Youth Affairs and Sports) and Ram Mohan Naidu (India’s Civil Aviation Minister). They all checked on me, asked how the situation was, and the Badminton Association of India was also in touch. From the media as well, a lot of people messaged me asking about my safety, and I had to put out a message that I am safe,” she added.

Then Sindhu said that the Emirates airlines also got in touch with them, took all the required details, and arrangements were made to fly them back to the media.

“I must say, hats off to the, you know, Indian Consulate General in Dubai. At the same time, our government also coordinated very well. And I think we got a lot of Indians, including me, you know, out from that place, and we are safe. We landed safely, and by God’s grace, everything has been good,” she added.

On a potential penalty for missing the tournament, Sindhu said she emailed the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the sport’s governing body, and they understood her situation well.

“From day one, I was updating BWF that ‘this is my situation, and I have been trying my best to get out of there’. And BWF was also like, ‘we understand the situation, and we are looking into it. They also wanted as much information as possible because some players from Japan were also stuck. But they managed to reach it as they found another way,” she added.

Sindhu said that she is “definitely” looking forward to playing the Swiss Open from March 10 onwards, but for now, “most of the flights are full”

“Flights are full, and everything is via Dubai, and I am trying every other way to go to Switzerland. But flights are full for now. I am trying every day, but the war is still going on, and it is a sensitive matter. So let us hope for the best. Nothing is in my hands right now, and I am trying to go out there and play for my country. Hoping this is my first and last such experience,” she added. (ANI)