New Delhi [India], August 16 (ANI): Former world champion PV Sindhu and India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will spearhead the home challenge as the BWF World Championships 2026 get underway in New Delhi on Monday.
The prestigious tournament returns to India after a 17-year gap, with Hyderabad having last hosted the championships in 2009. The 30th edition will be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from August 17 to 23, as per Olympics.com.
The World Championships, held annually except in Olympic years, offer the highest number of BWF ranking points alongside the Olympic Games, making the event one of the most coveted prizes in badminton.
India will have two entries in each of the five disciplines: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles. Sindhu, seeded ninth in women's singles, and Satwik-Chirag, seeded fifth in men's doubles, headline the Indian contingent, with Lakshya Sen and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also among the country's seeded entries.
Two-time Olympic medallist and ninth seed PV Sindhu heads into the tournament in confident form after winning the Japan Open last month.
A five-time World Championships medallist, Sindhu has won one gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the event. She will begin her campaign against Ireland's Sophia Nobel and, if she reaches the pre-quarterfinals, could face China's third seed, Wang Zhi Yi.
Speaking at a press conference, Sindhu said the World Championships being held in India makes the tournament special for her. She also recalled her 2019 World Championships triumph and expressed hope of producing another strong performance after nearly seven years.
"It's special because the World Championship is happening in India. I'm excited because it's been many years since India hosted it. I won the World Championship in 2019, and after almost seven years, I'm hoping to do well again," Sindhu said.
The Indian shuttler said winning at the Japan Open has boosted her confidence ahead of the prestigious tournament.
"The Japan Open gave me a lot of confidence, and I hope to carry that confidence forward. Everything is going well, so I'm taking it one match at a time and looking forward to the competition," she added.
Sindhu also expressed excitement about playing in front of the home crowd and said the support from Indian fans would be an added boost during the competition.
"The crowd will give us a lot of support, and I'm really happy to play the World Championship at home. I hope to make the most of it and win a medal," she said.
Unnati Hooda is the other Indian representative in the women's singles.
In the men's doubles, Asian Games champions and fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to carry the momentum from their Singapore Open triumph in May, where they claimed the BWF Super 750 title. The Indian pair, who won bronze at the 2022 and 2025 World Championships, will be aiming to go a step further on home soil and challenge for their maiden world title.
India's men's singles challenge will be led by 14th seed Lakshya Sen, a bronze medallist at the 2021 World Championships, and 22nd-ranked Ayush Shetty, who will make his World Championships debut. Shetty faces a daunting first-round test against defending champion Shi Yuqi of the People's Republic of China.
Ayush, however, faces the toughest opening-round test among the Indian contingent, having been drawn against China's top seed and reigning world champion Shi Yuqi.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will spearhead India's women's doubles challenge, while the mixed doubles event will feature three Indian pairs, the most among the five disciplines.
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, seeded 15th, will lead the country's mixed doubles campaign.
BWF World Championships 2026: India badminton squad:
Men's singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty
Men's doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan-MR Arjun
Women's singles: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda
Women's doubles: Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand, Kavipriya Selvam-Simran Singhi
Mixed doubles: Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Gadde, Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramuthesh. (ANI)
BWF World Championships return to India after 17 years; Sindhu, Satwik-Chirag lead home charge
