 "‘Bribes demanded’: Corruption allegations pile on Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium as India Open embarrassment deepens")
The arrangements at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex have attracted further criticism as sports policy consultant Gaurav Gullaiya has revealed sensational details of alleged corruption and inefficiency at the venue, which is currently hosting the 2026 India Open.
The Indira Gandhi Arena has been facing criticism for the last few days for its arrangements for the India Open, which Denmark’s female badminton star Mia Blichfeldt criticised as being unclean. Videos of monkeys roaming in the stands inside the training arena also went viral, triggering a further barrage of criticism towards the conditions at the venue.
Now, Gullaiya’s allegations of corruption have further added to the headache of the people associated with the stadium.
Gullaiya slams Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium facilities
In a post on X on Thursday, Gullaiya said that when his team organised the first AJP Tour India, they chose the venue, but it turned out to be a nightmare. He alleged that bribes and extra charges were demanded in what was a “deeply disappointing” thing for the organisers.
“We organised the first AJP Tour India at this very stadium,” he wrote, quoting a post showing a monkey roaming in the stands of the KD Jadhav Hall of the Indira Gandhi Arena.
“The reality on ground was deeply disappointing,” he added.
“Electricity charges and AC usage were billed separately information disclosed only on the morning of the tournament. (Expect no return). Bribes were demanded to allow trucks carrying sports equipment to enter even by private security personnel. Unauthorised individuals claiming to represent MCD Delhi repeatedly approached us asking for “money” or “gifts.”,” he alleged in his post.
We organised the first @AJPTour India at this very stadium.
— Gaurav U. Gullaiya (@Gaurav_Gullaiya) January 14, 2026
The reality on ground was deeply disappointing:
1.Electricity charges and AC usage were billed separately information disclosed only on the morning of the tournament.(Expect no return)
2.Bribes were demanded to allow… https://t.co/0eOyZ1eKUK
He further added that the toilets were in an unacceptable condition and there was no staff to do anything about it.
“Toilets were in unacceptable condition. We had to deploy three of our own staff for cleaning, as stadium staff were largely absent from duty. Foreign female athletes formally complained,” he claimed.
He said that the tournament was shifted to a private venue from the very next year and that turned out to be a “night and day” difference.
‘Talent will move away’
Gullaiya said that such issues with “basic sports infrastructure” will force the talent to leave because the system will make even simple things difficult.
“This is not elite infrastructure. This is basic sports infrastructure a core pillar in the development of any sporting nation. A serious, unfiltered visit to such facilities would be an eye-opener for policymakers, sports bureaucracies, and auditors alike. Until then, we will continue to see talent move away not because of lack of ambition, but because the system that unnecessarily makes it difficult to do simple things…” he concluded.
With the venue also set to host India’s first Badminton World Championships since 2009 later this year, the criticism over arrangements does not make for a good reading for the authorities.
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