Sindhu has won five medals in the mega event.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
The badminton World championships starting here on Monday will be as much a test of India’s growth in the sport as a show of its organisational abilities both on and off the court.
The last time India hosted the marquee event in 2009, it had a grand total of one medal in the tournament’s history. Since then, the country has not gone without one in the 11 editions starting 2011.
P.V. Sindhu, with five medals including the lone Indian gold under her belt, carries the hopes yet again. The ninth seed will begin her campaign against world No. 141 Sofia Nobel of Ireland. The road to the top will be anything but easy for the 31-year-old in her 10th Worlds. China’s Wang Zhi Yi, Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia and top-ranked An Se Young of Korea could come in her way. The 2019 gold was also her last medal in the mega event. However, Sindhu has found form in recent times, clinching the Japan Open Super 750 crown last month.
“I think winning the Japan Open gave me a lot of of confidence. Having five medals is an amazing journey…each gave me a different kind of experience. I think the transition has been wonderful. When I lost the 2017 World championships (to Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in the final), I was very hard on myself… And there were times where I’ve lost where I was leading. These are some of the moments that made me stronger,” Sindhu admitted on the eve of the competition.
Defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan will be looking to become the first women’s singles player to win four golds, going past Spain’s Carolina Marin.
Also hoping to put their recent injury woes behind and add to their collection would be Asian Games gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The top Indian men’s doubles pair has got a bye in the opening round.
On Monday, Indian youngster Ayush Shetty takes on defending champion and top seed Shi Yuqi in the opening round. The 21-year-old is eyeing a first win in four meetings against the Chinese. “I think it is tough in whichever round you are playing Shi. I hope it will be great match,” said Ayush, who is making his debut in the showpiece.
Lakshya Sen, attempting to become the first Indian man to win two medals, will begin against Collins Filimon of Austria on Tuesday. He is likely to run into former champion Thai Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the pre-quarterfinals.
India’s Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh have been promoted to the mixed doubles main draw.
Indians in action: Men: Singles: Ayush Shetty vs. Shi Yuqi (Chn).
Doubles: M.R. Arjun & Hariharan Amsakarunan vs. Scott Guildea & Paul Reynolds (Ire).
Women: Singles: P.V. Sindhu vs. Sofia Nobel (Ire).
Doubles: Treesa Jolly & Gayatri Gopichand vs. Paula Lopez & Lucia Rodriguez (ESP); Kavipriya Selvam & Simran Singhi vs. Nikol Carulla & Carmen Maria Jimenez (Esp).
Published – August 16, 2026 06:04 pm IST
