PV Sindhu Stranded at Dubai Airport Amid Gulf Conflict

Indian badminton star and double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu became stranded at Dubai International Airport on Saturday, February 28, 2026, after an explosion erupted nearby amid escalating military tensions in the Gulf region triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Sindhu was in transit to Birmingham, England, for the All England Open Badminton Championships, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 3. Flight operations across the Gulf were suspended indefinitely following the strikes, which prompted Iranian retaliatory actions including missile interceptions and explosions. Dubai airport authorities halted all departures and arrivals, leaving thousands of passengers, including Sindhu and her coach, in limbo for more than eight hours.

In social media posts shared Sunday morning, Sindhu described the ordeal as increasingly frightening. "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 extremely tense and scary moment for all of us," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. She noted hearing interceptions overhead and viewing disturbing videos...