Indian Shuttlers Eye Podium Finishes at Home Championships
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 having last hosted it in Hyderabad in 2009. India will feature two entries in each of the five badminton disciplines, with at least one seeded contender in four of these categories.
Former champion PV Sindhu has been seeded ninth in the women’s singles event. She will be looking to secure a record sixth medal at the championships. Her early rounds are considered winnable, and if she maintains her form, she could potentially face China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the Round of 16, an opponent she previously defeated in the last edition of the championships.
The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty represent India’s highest-seeded entry, receiving the fifth seed. The duo is making a return after injury issues for Rankireddy. India doubles coach Tan Kim Her confirmed that Satwik has recovered fully and is ready for the competition. They have reportedly avoided familiar rivals until the quarterfinal stage.
In men’s singles, former world championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen is seeded 14th. Like Sindhu, Lakshya Sen is expected to have relatively easy opening two rounds. His significant challenge could arise in the Round of 16, where he might encounter the second seed, Kunlavit Vitidsarn of Thailand.
Challenging Matchups and High Aspirations for Home Shuttlers
While most top shuttlers are anticipated to have a relatively straightforward first round, 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. This matchup was determined during the official draw ceremony held on Wednesday.
Pullela Gopichand, India’s national chief coach, views this as a potentially advantageous draw for Ayush. He believes that a first-round meeting against Shi is better than facing him later in the tournament, suggesting that a victory could open up the draw for Ayush. U Vimal Kumar, who oversees Ayush’s training, is hopeful that Ayush can draw inspiration from Loh Kean Yew’s unseeded run to the title in 2021.
The mixed doubles pairing of Dhruv Kapila and Olympian Tanisha Crasto are the 15th seeds. Their primary test is expected to begin from the Round of 16 stage. The women’s doubles combination of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, despite a challenging season, will face Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez of Spain in the first round.
The significance of the World Championships has attracted many prominent players, including Anders Antonsen, World No 4 from Denmark, who had previously skipped the last three editions of the India Open. Another Danish player, Mia Blichfeldt, is also returning with high aspirations. Organisers have stated that the stadium has undergone a significant overhaul in preparation for the event.
Gopichand expressed his enthusiasm for the event returning to India, highlighting the country’s growth in badminton since 2009. He noted the emergence of multiple players across various events, expressing hope for podium finishes in several categories. Indian shuttlers have consistently secured medals at the championships since the 2011 edition.
Source: newsonair.gov.in
