4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 11, 2026 10:23 AM IST
The animal lessons from India Open were immense – A patented USA machine emitting sounds to repel infesting birds, a non-toxic slippery gel that keeps pigeons away, and auto-closing double doors to avert monkey entry, as reported earlier, will be employed at the BWF World Championships.
Add langur mimicry artists to the list.
Trained humans have long been chasing rhesus macaques away in Delhi, since the use of langurs for it is banned under wildlife laws. The profession was the subject of Hindi feature film Eeb Allay Ooo! — an onomatopoeiac title describing the unique noises made to repel monkeys. Four men have been hired to do the same at IG Indoor Stadium for the badminton World Championships.
“The skill has been passed down generations in my family. I learnt it from my father, but don’t want my son to do it,” says Jabbar, a Rohini resident and one of the aforementioned four. He is often enlisted for the arcane task in the capital’s North Block and South Block via tenders, and adds that he earns roughly Rs 25,000 per month for his efforts.
You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort 😂❤️🇮🇳
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Can’t wait for the… https://t.co/ORDFuAkITL
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The need for Jabbar and Co perhaps arose after a monkey was spotted in the stands during the India Open this year. The arena has three floors, and each of them have single doors. “When any door was left open, claims Ambar Pratap Singh, regional executive director at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), “nobody could actually make sure that no monkeys came in.”
Automatic double doors are one way to address that. Monkey chasers are another. The once-bitten Badminton Association of India (BAI) presumably wants to leave nothing to chance, and modern problems require modern solutions, as the meme goes.
Lighting issue fixed
Other potential stumbling blocks are also being looked at. The lighting, another talking point at India Open, has been upgraded. The emphasis is on ensuring no shadows are cast on the court and that the overhead lights, bearing a lux (unit of illuminance) figure between 2,200 and 2,400, are evenly spread out across the court. Besides the standard white light on top, there will be a medley of lights in the special presentation, before and after a match, and during ceremonies to avoid player disturbance.
Further, the player entrance fireworks that are customary at all major BWF events will be in action on the last day (August 23). Cold fire — eco-friendly flames — will be used, BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra confirms.
Singh also added that roof leakages at the IG stadium have now been repaired, and with heavy rainfall likely during the Championships, are being tested repeatedly. The downpour is also expected to assuage pollution concerns raised by shuttlers previously. As for the hygiene question posed by Denmark women’s shuttler Mia Blichfeldt, Mishra is confident that the cleanliness will match global standards.
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“I don’t think cleanliness will be a problem for her (Blichfeldt). The conditions are far better than what was the case at the India Open,” he said to The Indian Express. Mishra adds that the lake part of the IG Stadium complex has been revived and is being beautified, and that the practice courts are prepared at the KD Jadhav Stadium.
All appears to be in readiness for the marquee event. And if a simian sneaks into the fray, there are men to shout it away.
