New Delhi to host BWF World Championships, Indian shuttlers seeded
The BWF World Badminton Championships 2026 are set to take place at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi from August 17 to 23. This marks the return of the top-tier Grade 1 event to India after a gap of 17 years, with the country last hosting it in Hyderabad in 2009. The significance of the competition has drawn many prominent shuttlers to the Indian capital.
PV Sindhu, a former champion, will compete as the ninth seed in the women’s singles event. She is reportedly chasing a sixth medal at the championships. Her early rounds are considered winnable, and if she avoids an upset, she could potentially face China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the Round of 16, a rival she defeated in the previous edition of the championships.
India’s highest-seeded entry in the tournament will be the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who have secured the fifth seed. The duo will be making a return after injury issues for Rankireddy. India’s doubles coach, Tan Kim Her, confirmed that Rankireddy has recovered and is ready for the competition. They have reportedly avoided familiar rivals until at least the quarter-final stage.
In men’s singles, former world championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen is seeded 14th. His path is similar to Sindhu’s, with relatively easy opening two rounds on paper. However, Sen could face a significant challenge in the Round of 16, where he might encounter the second seed, Kunlavit Vitidsarn of Thailand. U Vimal Kumar, who oversees Ayush Shetty’s and Lakshya Sen’s training, expressed hope that Ayush Shetty can draw inspiration from Loh Kean Yew’s unseeded run to the title in 2021.
India will have two entries in each of the five badminton disciplines at the home world championships, with at least one seeded contender in four of them. The mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Olympian Tanisha Crasto are the 15th seeds. Their real test could begin from the Round of 16 stage.
The draw ceremony, conducted on Wednesday, revealed some interesting matchups. While most top shuttlers are expected to have relatively easy first rounds, India’s Ayush Shetty faces a tough opening match. He is set to compete against World No 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi from China on the opening day. Pullela Gopichand, India’s national chief coach, believes that an early meeting with Shi Yu Qi could be advantageous for Ayush Shetty, potentially opening up the draw if he wins.
Ayush Shetty, ranked World No 23, was a key talking point after the draw. He previously lost to Shi Yu Qi in the final of the Asian Championships and has reportedly struggled to find his rhythm since then. However, Shi Yu Qi has also been described as being far from his best, suggesting their Round of 64 meeting could be a thrilling affair.
The women’s doubles combination of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, despite a challenging season, will participate after finding some success at the Philippine International Challenge. They are drawn against Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez of Spain in Round 1.
The return of the World Championships to India is a significant event for the country’s badminton landscape. Pullela Gopichand expressed his happiness, noting that India has evolved from an emerging nation in badminton to one with aspirations of hosting major global sporting events. He highlighted the increased number of Indian players capable of challenging for podium finishes across multiple events, a contrast to the 2009 edition where Saina Nehwal and the mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju narrowly missed medals. Indian shuttlers have consistently secured medals since the 2011 edition.
Concerns about pollution and stadium conditions, previously raised by players like Anders Antonsen and Mia Blichfeldt, have been addressed by organisers, who stated that the stadium has undergone a significant overhaul. The championships are scheduled to run until August 23.
Source: newsonair.gov.in
