Badminton-India's Sindhu stranded at Dubai airport amid Middle East crisis

March 1 : India's double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu said that she was left stranded at Dubai airport on her way to the All England Open badminton tournament after the flight operations were suspended in the city as a result of the ongoing conflict in the region.

Explosions were heard across the Gulf as Iran responded to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, with blasts in the United Arab Emirates' capital of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, leading to Dubai International Airport suspending all flights.

“To everyone who has been messaging and checking in, thank you, it truly means a lot. I am safe right now, stuck here with my team, and we are doing okay as the situation around the war with Iran continues to evolve,” Sindhu wrote in a post on social media on Saturday.

In an update on Sunday, she added that they have been "moved to a more secure place" while they "wait for things to settle". 

The All England Open tournament is scheduled to start from March 3.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF), sport's global governing body, said they are monitoring the situation along with the tournament organisers, Badminton England, to assist athletes and officials who may face travel challenges.

"BWF is working with the tournament organisers and national associations to assess travel conditions, while our operations teams maintain real‑time oversight of the situation and stand ready to assist delegations experiencing delays or route changes," the statement said.

"This includes reviewing and preparing potential contingencies within the competition schedule should any players experience delayed arrival."