All England Open: Sindhu storms into quarters

Sindhu, who was supposed to feature in the All England Open competition in Birmingham starting from Tuesday, was stuck in Dubai following a crisis which started due to a sharp escalation in West Asia after Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites. The operation triggered retaliatory threats and airspace closures in several countries, including Iran and Iraq, disrupting major international air corridors.

The two-time Olympic medallist shared her relief and gratitude in a post on X, offering a glimpse into the anxiety she faced during the past few days.

PV Ramana, Indian star badminton player PV Sindhu's father, said that his daughter confirmed that the Indian Embassy in Dubai is taking care of her amid the Israel-Iran tensions and that they arranged accommodation for her in a hotel.

Olympian shuttler Saina Nehwal was honoured with the Bhavya Bharat Bhushan Award by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.

Tuesday marks the start of the sixth edition of the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Qingdao, China, with the men's and women's events featuring some of Asia's top teams. A replacement for Sindhu has not been named, as the deadline to do so has passed, and India will compete without one.