India is hosting a series of badminton tournaments as part of the BWF World Tour, following the Syed Modi International and Guwahati Masters. The latest stop is Odisha for the Odisha Masters 300, but similar to the previous events, organisation flaws have plagued the competitions, causing inconvenience for players.
This time, former world number 1 Japanese player Nozomi Okuhara, recent winner of the Guwahati Masters, encountered significant challenges in securing accommodation upon arrival in the host city. Sharing her problems on Instagram, she revealed that the hotel she was booked in had no record of her reservation and was fully occupied for the day. Despite attempting to book another hotel, her reservation went unconfirmed, leading her to consider camping. However, with assistance from tournament staff and possibly PV Sindhu, she managed to resolve the situation.
“The hotel staff said ‘We don’t have booking. And today is full.’ I finally caught an Uber in a small car and headed for the hotel I had applied for without a confirmed reservation lol. Thanks to Sindh and a person from the Indian Association who happened to come out of the hotel,, I was able to contact the hotel staff. Things took a turn for the worse from there, and we were finally able to arrange a hotel. Two hours ago, I was starting to see some options for camping, so I’m a little relieved that I’ll be able to make it to the hotel. 15 minutes I wasn’t still completely relieved. I hope you get to the hotel safely and check in without any problems. The hotel staff gave us water after we were stuck for 4 hours,” read her Instagram stories.
Earlier, badminton player Soong Joo Ven, also in India for the Guwahati Masters 2023, shared a tweet displaying unsanitary conditions in his bathroom, showcasing further issues faced by players.
The Odisha Masters, scheduled from December 12-17, sees India’s Priyanshu Rajawat as the top seed in the tournament, with Okuhara as the fourth seed in the women’s singles category.