Indian consulate

BWF World Rankings: The last few days have been as bad as a nightmare and an ordeal never experienced for Indian badminton legend PV Sindhu, as the two-time Olympic medallist was stranded in Dubai on her way to England because flights were cancelled due to the Middle East crisis triggered by the US-Israel attack on Iran.

Sindhu, who was on her way to Birmingham to participate in the All-England badminton championship, was stranded in Dubai for a couple of days. With no avenues open for her onward journey to England, she had to withdraw from the prestigious event and return home by the first available flight to India from Dubai, prioritising her safety.

"I tried every possible way to go to Birmingham for the All-England, but that was not possible. I even considered taking alternate routes, even last night I was exploring various routes, one of which would have involved three stops and a 24-hour journey, and I would have reached Birmingham on Thursday, but by that time, the All-England would have already started," said Sindhu in a media interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India.