India’s double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu went through a scary experience after she was left stranded at Dubai airport while travelling to the All England Open Badminton Championships on Saturday, February 28. Her journey was disrupted after flight operations were suspended due to the ongoing Iran-Israel war and the subsequent tensions in the Middle East.

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Sindhu was on her way from Bengaluru to Birmingham to compete in the prestigious tournament, which is scheduled to take place from March 3 to March 8. However, things took an unexpected turn when her flight landed in Dubai and the
airspace was shut down due to missiles and drones reportedly fired by the Iranian authorities in response to attacks from Israel and the United States.

Sindu was left stranded at the airport as flight services were temporarily stopped. Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, Sindhu explained what happened. “Firstly, thank you all who have been reaching out and checking on us,” she was quoted as saying to the media outlet.

“Well, I was transiting from Bangalore, where I train and live full-time now, to Birmingham in the UK to compete in the All England championships. And you know, once our flight landed in Dubai, events beyond our control began to unfold, and shortly after, you know, the airspace also was shut down. And the last few hours have been extremely tense. We could hear the sounds of interceptions overhead, and a few hours later, there was an explosion very close to where we were holed up at Dubai Airport,” she said.

Sindhu said her coach was just about 100 metres away from where the explosion happened. He had to quickly move away from the area to stay safe. “My coach was barely about 100 meters away there. You know, it happened, and had to quickly move out of the area. You know, experiencing something like this in such close quarters is truly, you know, it truly shakes the very foundation you’re built on and you never expect these things to happen to you or anyone close to you,” Sindhu revealed.

The ordeal continues to unfold, and the situation is becoming more frightening by the hour.

A few hours ago, there was an explosion close to where we were holed up at the airport. My coach had to quickly run out of the area as he was closest to the smoke and debris. It was an… https://t.co/ZdNtuALk0P

— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) March 1, 2026

“But sometimes situations are beyond your control. They do so, you know, I feel incredibly blessed to have such a strong and united team around me, and everyone has stayed calm, supported one another and shown real strength during a very frightening situation. And currently, we are safe now and have been moved to a more secure place,” she added.

Sindhu thanked the Dubai airport authorities and airline staff for their support. She also expressed gratitude towards the Indian High Commission in Dubai for their quick response. Sindhu said that when she reached out for help, the High Commission immediately deployed a high-priority team to assist them.

“I’m deeply, you know, grateful to the Dubai authorities and the staff and Dubai Airport. Also, we’ve been, you know, incredibly tireless in ensuring everyone’s safety. We’re also truly grateful to Emirates and the airport staff for being incredibly kind and supportive. You know, with so many passengers stranded, their hands were understandably tied, but they showed genuine empathy and care towards everyone going through this difficult experience,” Sindhu said.

“I would also like to sincerely thank the Indian High Commission in Dubai for their extraordinary support. And when I reached out requesting assistance, the high commission immediately responded, and on high super priority notice, deployed his team to help us. They have been incredibly supportive of, not just to me, but to everyone stranded here, ensuring safety coordination and constant communication during a very difficult time, and anyone currently stuck or needing assistance is encouraged to reach out using the official Helpline Numbers shared by the high commission. And of course, we are truly blessed to have such a sensitised and credibile in looking out for Indian citizens here for now, we’re trying to get some rest and remain hopeful as the situation continues to unfold. So thank you for your prayers, messages and concern. It truly means a lot to all of us,” she concluded.