PV Sindhu’s record pursuit, Ayush Shetty’s baptism of fire: India chases glory at home BWF World Championships

New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) The best in the world are set to compete at the BWF World Championships 2026 as India gets ready to host the biggest badminton stage for one week at the Indira Gandhi Stadium from August 17 to 23. This is the second time that India is hosting the tournament and the first time since 2009.

Indian players have gone into the badminton World Championships as medal contenders for more than a decade now, as the nation has won a medal at every edition since 2011.

First held in 1977, the World Badminton Championships were held every three years until 1983 and then became a biennial event till 2005. So far, eleven Indian shuttlers have won 15 medals at the biennial championships over the years, with only PV Sindhu going on to become a world champion in 2019.

India marked their maiden in 1983 when Prakash Padukone bagged a bronze. Then, it was the women’s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa who brought the medal back to the country after 28 years in 2011.

Since that drought-ending medal in 2011, India have won at least one medal at every single edition of the BWF World Championships, amassing 14 medals across 11 consecutive editions, a record in consistency matched only by China. Out of those 15 medals, one medal was won prior to 2009, when India hosted the World Championships for the first time.

In the 2026 edition, however, Indian hopefuls were handed a tricky draw as Asian Championships silver medallist Ayush Shetty will take on defending champion and top seed Shi Yuqi of China in his opening match.

Former champion PV Sindhu, who jointly holds the record for most Worlds medals in women’s singles, opens her women’s singles campaign against Ireland’s World No. 141 Sophia Noble and will face either Bulgaria’s Stefani Stoeva or Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang in the second round.

In her pursuit of a sixth World Championships medal, she faces a tough path through third seed Wang Zhi Yi and sixth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani to reach the semifinals. However, she enters the tournament with momentum after claiming the Japan Open Super 750—her most significant title victory since winning the World Championships in 2019.

As many as five world champions have been seeded in women’s singles, the highest among all categories. An Se Young, champion in 2023, is seeded No.1, while three-time and reigning champion Akane Yamaguchi is seeded second.

Former champions who find themselves among the top 16 seeds are: 2013 champion Ratchanok Intanon (No.7), 2019 champion Sindhu (No.9) and 2017 champion Nozomi Okuhara (No.11).

In the men’s singles draw, Lakshya Sen aims to regain the sparkling form that powered him to the All England final earlier this season. Seeded 14th, he faces a potential pre-quarterfinal showdown against Olympic silver medalist and former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Ayush faces a baptism of fire in his home world championships debut, facing the defending champion Shi. He has lost all of his three matches against the Chinese, the latest being the Badminton Asia Championship final, where he was outclassed.

In men’s singles, there are three seeds who have won the World Championships: reigning champion Shi Yu Qi, 2023 winner Kunlavut Vitidsarn and 2021 champion Loh Kean Yew.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the 2025 men’s doubles bronze medallists, who have spent much of the year battling injuries and mid-match retirements. Even so, their big-match pedigree makes them India’s strongest medal contenders in Delhi.

The fifth-seeded Indian duo has a first-round bye and an easy enough second-round matchup. Their real challenge will be in the third round when they meet 12th seeds Ramond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, whom they have not played before.

In men’s doubles, Indonesia have three seeded contenders: Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri (No.2), Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani (No.9) and Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin (No.12).

Besides reigning champions Seo Seung Jae/Kim Won Ho, there are two seeded pairs who have previously won the world title: No.4 Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik and No.8 Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi.

Meanwhile, women’s doubles duo Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand return from injury setbacks hoping to reignite the form that previously took them into the top 10.

India faces an uphill battle mixed doubles, given recent form and the nation’s historical struggles in these disciplines. Mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, who shocked the fifth seeds at the last edition, face a tough third-round path against sixth-seeded Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui as they chase a breakthrough run.

Notably, India are yet to see a podium finish in the mixed doubles category.

India squad-

Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty

Women’s singles: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda

Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan/MR Arjun

Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, Kavipriya Selvam/Simran Singhi

Mixed doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde (Canada)

–IANS

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