New Delhi to host BWF World Championships, Indian shuttlers receive seedings

By Sanjay Menon — 6 August 2026 — 3 min read

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. India will have two entries in each of the five badminton disciplines, with at least one seeded contender in four of them. 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.

Former champion PV Sindhu has been seeded ninth in the women’s singles event. She is expected to have winnable early rounds and could potentially face China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the Round of 16, a player she defeated in the previous edition of the championships. Sindhu is currently pursuing a record sixth medal at the event.

The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are India’s highest-seeded entry, receiving the fifth seed. The duo is returning after injury issues for Rankireddy. India doubles coach Tan Kim Her confirmed that Satwik has fully recovered and is ready to compete. They have avoided familiar rivals until at least the quarterfinal stage.

In men’s singles, former world championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen is seeded 14th. Like Sindhu, Lakshya has relatively easy opening two rounds on paper. His significant challenge could come in the Round of 16, where he might encounter the second seed, Kunlavit Vitidsarn of Thailand.

The mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Olympian Tanisha Crasto are the 15th seeds. Their primary test is also anticipated from the Round of 16 stage. The women’s doubles combination of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will face Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez of Spain in the first round.

Challenging Openers and High Aspirations

While most top shuttlers are expected to have relatively easy first-round matches, India’s Ayush Shetty faces a tough opening encounter. 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.

Ayush Shetty, ranked World No 23, was a significant topic of discussion after the draw. He had previously lost to Shi in the final of the Asian Championships and has struggled to regain his rhythm since. However, Shi has also not been at his best, suggesting their Round of 64 meeting could be a thrilling affair.

India’s national chief coach Pullela Gopichand commented on Ayush’s draw, stating that a first-round meeting against Shi is preferable to playing him later in the tournament. He believes that if Ayush wins, it could open up the draw for him. U Vimal Kumar, who oversees Ayush’s training, hopes Ayush can draw inspiration from Loh Kean Yew’s unseeded run to the title in 2021.

The significance of the World Championships has attracted many prominent players, including Anders Antonsen of Denmark, who is World No 4 and had skipped previous editions of the India Open. Despite past complaints about conditions at the stadium, the importance of the competition has drawn all marquee names to New Delhi. Organisers have stated that the stadium has undergone a massive overhaul.

Gopichand expressed his happiness about the event returning to India, noting the country’s aspiration to host major global sporting events. He highlighted the growth of Indian badminton, with multiple players now capable of challenging for podium finishes, a contrast to the 2009 event where Saina Nehwal and the mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju narrowly missed medals. Indian shuttlers have consistently secured medals at the championships since the 2011 edition.

The event is expected to be much grander this time, reflecting India’s emergence in the sport. The home crowd will undoubtedly bring high pressure, but also strong support for the Indian shuttlers as they compete from August 17 to 23.

Source: newsonair.gov.in