Day 5 of the BWF World Championships saw a bigger crowd at the Indira Gandhi Arena, with the atmosphere getting better as the day progressed.
After Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won their match, the Indian pair received a warm round of applause from the crowd. A sweet moment between Gayatri and her father and former India coach Pullela Gopichand also caught the attention of the fans.
Only two courts, Court 1 and Court 2, were in use on Friday, with Courts 3 and 4 removed as the number of matches decreased.
Several fans at the venue shared their experiences and spoke positively about the atmosphere. A young badminton player also spoke about his experience at the World Championships and shared his dream of representing India in the future.
Fans were also present to support international stars such as Akane Yamaguchi and An Se Young. A large group from P.G. Badminton Academy in Bengal was also at the venue. They spoke about their aim of creating young badminton talent while enjoying the World Championships experience.
The Indian superfan was also present, encouraging more people to come and watch the action while promoting the sport with plenty of energy.
The BWF merchandise shop also attracted considerable interest. The collection featured keychains, umbrellas, bags and bottles. The Peacko plushie was a major talking point among fans, although it was exclusively available to players and could not be purchased. That left several fans disappointed, while even the keychains eventually went out of stock.
By late evening, the stadium was almost full and the sound of dhols added another layer to the atmosphere. After Kodai Naraoka defeated Anders Antonsen, he even hit a shuttle into the crowd with his racket.
A fan group carrying the Bharat Army flag was also present with dhols to support the Indian players.
Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty once again brought the loudest cheers of the day, with “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” chants echoing around the stadium.
However, after the Indian pair suffered defeat, the mood inside the arena changed quickly. Fans began leaving with visible disappointment, including members of the Bharat Army group.
For More Exciting Articles: Follow RevSportz
The post BWF World Championships Day 5: More Fans, More Noise and Plenty of Indian Support appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
