BWF World Championships Get 'Monkey Whisperers': 3 Men To Mimic Langur Calls And Keep Monkeys Away | VIDEO

New Delhi, August 10: The BWF World Championships 2026 in Delhi will have some unusual helpers this year as three men have been trained to imitate langur calls. Their job will be to keep rhesus macaques away from the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, where the world's top badminton players will compete from August 17 to 23.

The bizarre step has been taken after a monkey entered the venue during the India Open earlier this year. Organisers are now taking extra precautions to make sure the problem does not repeat during the World Championships.

The three men have been trained to copy the sounds made by langurs, including their grunts and hoots. Rhesus macaques are known to stay away from langurs, so the calls will be used as a way to discourage monkeys from coming near the stadium.

Why Are Monkeys A Concern?

The monkey incident during the India Open became one of the most unusual moments of the tournament. A monkey was spotted inside the stadium while matches were being played, adding to the problems faced by organisers.

The India Open also had another unexpected visitor problem - pigeons.

Bird droppings fell onto the badminton court during a match, forcing play to be stopped. The incidents led to concerns about cleanliness, hygiene and animal control at the venue. The Badminton World Federation also acknowledged these issues.

The problems were particularly important because the India Open was seen as a major test for the same venue ahead of the World Championships.

Delhi Gets Ready For The World Championships

The 2026 BWF World Championships will be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi from August 17 to 23. It will be the 30th edition of the tournament and will return to India after 17 years.

The venue has undergone several changes after the problems seen during the India Open. Organisers have worked on cleanliness, animal control, air conditioning, lighting and other facilities.

Measures to keep birds and animals away from the playing area have also been strengthened. Security and entry arrangements have been improved as part of the preparations.

The Badminton Association of India has said that the issues from the India Open have been addressed and that the World Championships will provide a much better experience for players and fans.

Monkey Control

The three men with their langur calls will have a simple but important task and that is to make sure that the monkeys stay outside while the world's best badminton players take centre stage inside.

With the World Championships only days away, organisers will hope that the biggest headlines from Delhi this time come from the badminton court and not from the stands.