The BWF World Championships will begin in Delhi on Monday
Sports authorities in India are taking extra measures to keep monkeys and pigeons away from a major international badminton tournament in Delhi after wildlife intrusions overshadowed another competition earlier this year.
In January, when India hosted the India Open badminton tournament, organisers had hoped the headlines would be about tense matches, some of the world's best players and the excitement of hosting a major tournament in the capital.
Instead, the event became a talking point for very different reasons. There were complaints about air pollution, matches were halted, external because of pigeon droppings on the court and a monkey was spotted inside the stadium.
Now, as Delhi prepares to host the BWF World Championships from Monday, organisers are taking steps to ensure the focus remains on the sport.
The tournament – one of the biggest events in the badminton calendar – will be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from 17 to 23 August.
Officials told the BBC that wooden doors across the stadium have been replaced with double-door systems that lock automatically. High-grade nets have also been installed over openings where birds or animals could potentially enter.
"We have also used a non-toxic gel in places and on handles where the pigeons could have landed as a secondary measure," said Sanjay Mishra, general secretary of the Badminton Association of India.
Langur posters were put up across Delhi during the G20 summit in 2023 to scare away monkeys
Other possible entry points, including gaps in the roof and exhaust vents, have also been sealed or repaired, he added.
The stadium has also undergone an overhaul to improve the look and feel of the arena. The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium was built for the 1982 Asian Games and later renovated ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
"Structural upgrades have been carried out at the three major arenas in the stadium," Ambar Pratap Singh, executive director of Sports Authority of India, said in a video posted on social media.
The lighting has also been fixed after players complained during the India Open about shadows appearing on the court, he added.
But it is the efforts to keep monkeys away from the venue that have attracted the most attention ahead of the tournament.
A video showing a man apparently mimicking the call of a langur – large, long-tailed monkeys found across much of South Asia – went viral on social media in India earlier this week.