New Delhi | August 16, 2026
The BWF World Championships 2026 are set to begin in New Delhi tomorrow, August 17, bringing the world’s best badminton players to India for one of the sport’s biggest tournaments.
The championship will be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from August 17 to 23. This is the first time the BWF World Championships are returning to India since Hyderabad hosted the event in 2009.
India’s biggest medal hopes
India will be looking closely at PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen in the singles events, while Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are among the country’s strongest doubles medal hopes. Sindhu enters the tournament with momentum after winning the Japan Open in July, becoming the first Indian to win that title.
Sindhu has already won five World Championships medals, including India’s first-ever gold at the event in 2019. Satwik and Chirag are also seeded fifth in men’s doubles, while Sindhu is seeded ninth in women’s singles.
Four Indian players set for their World Championships debut
The tournament will also be a major moment for India’s younger generation. Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam will make their World Championships debuts on home soil.
A major test for India’s hosting
The event is also being seen as an important test of India’s ability to host major international sporting events. Organisers have upgraded the venue after problems during the India Open earlier this year, including monkeys entering the stadium and pigeons disrupting matches. Reuters reported that organisers have even hired langur-call mimics, or “monkey whisperers,” to keep rhesus monkeys away from the venue.
The championships will run until August 23, with the finals scheduled for Sunday.
