BWF World Championships 2026:
The 30th edition of the BWF World Championships gets underway at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Monday, bringing badminton’s biggest individual tournament back to India after a 17-year gap. The seven-day championship runs from August 17 to 23, with the opening day featuring first-round action across singles and doubles.
For the home contingent, PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty and the Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty-led doubles campaign headline a strong Indian challenge. India have won at least one medal at every edition of the World Championships since 2011 and will be looking to extend that remarkable run on home soil.
Sindhu begins historic sixth-medal quest
All eyes will be on former world champion PV Sindhu, who begins her campaign against Ireland’s Sophia Noble. The ninth seed arrives in New Delhi with history within reach. Sindhu already has five World Championships medals and is targeting a sixth, a feat that would make her the first player in the tournament’s history to reach that mark.
Her recent Japan Open Super 750 triumph has also provided a timely boost ahead of the home championships.
Ayush faces defending champion Shi Yu Qi
One of the biggest tests for an Indian player on Day 1 comes in the men’s singles, where Ayush Shetty faces top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China. The 21-year-old Indian has lost all three of his previous meetings with Shi, but has shown the ability to push the Chinese star during their encounters.
The match, scheduled for 6:10pm IST, could be one of the day’s most intriguing contests.
Lakshya Sen and Indian doubles in action
Lakshya Sen is another major Indian name in the men’s singles draw, although his opening-day opponent in the latest schedule is yet to feature among the Day 1 matches listed by the tournament schedule. The 2021 World Championships bronze medallist will be looking to make a deep run after a strong season.
In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun begin against Ireland’s Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds. The women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will also be in action against Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez.
