As the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Badminton Association of India (BAI) prepared the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium for the BWF World Championships, returning to India after 17 years, their focus extended far beyond renovating the venue. A major part of the preparations involved keeping unwanted animals and birds away from the playing area.
Vents have been sealed, while the existing wooden doors have been replaced with a double-door entry system, including an automatic outer door. Following advice from the Railway Ministry, organisers are also using a non-toxic gel normally applied to protect railway wiring around the stadium's ducting. Portable devices designed to simulate the presence of predatory birds have been installed to discourage pigeons from flying over the courts.
The measures come after a difficult experience at the India Open in January, when pigeons twice interrupted a second-round match between HS Prannoy and Loh Kean Yew. The incidents triggered criticism over hygiene and playing conditions, along with concerns about Delhi's air pollution. The preparations at the IGI Stadium are therefore partly aimed at addressing those concerns and ensuring the venue is ready to host a world-class tournament.
Among the unusual measures, however, one person attracted particular attention during BAI and SAI's media walkthrough of the venue — Jabbar, a professional monkey catcher from Delhi.
Jabbar comes from a family of monkey handlers, having learnt the trade from his grandfather and father. He has spent years helping keep monkeys away from prominent auditoriums and government buildings across the capital. Now, he is part of a four-member team assigned to protect the World Championships venue from monkeys.
The team's technique is neither chemical nor mechanical. Instead, they imitate the warning calls of langurs, which have traditionally been used to drive monkeys away from Delhi's streets and rooftops.
"When we shout like that, the monkeys run away. This method is effective," Jabbar said.
He added that the team also takes precautions to ensure the monkeys are not placed in danger, particularly near roads with moving traffic. In the past, langurs were used to chase the monkeys away.
The four-member team is being paid Rs 25,000 a month under a tender. Jabbar said the work is not regular or particularly secure, although the demand for their services has grown around major venues in Delhi, including the North Block, South Block and areas around the IGI Stadium.
According to him, several people are now learning the trade, which has traditionally been passed down through families.
For Jabbar, however, the profession is slowly disappearing. His own son is currently in the second standard, and he does not want him to follow the same path.
"I learnt it from my father. But I don't want my children doing it," Jabbar said.
Meanwhile, the larger stadium renovation continues. Sixteen entrances across the first and second floors have been equipped with glass doors and automatic double-entry systems as part of an estimated Rs 20 crore upgrade.
Among the many conventional infrastructure improvements, a small four-member team with no formal engineering designation has been given the unusual responsibility of ensuring that Delhi's monkeys do not disrupt a World Championship that the capital has worked hard to bring back.
