Sindhu broke no sweat during her victory over Zhang.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Ayush, despite being pushed to the limit, never gave up.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The year was 2009. Denmark and Macau walked away from their bids to host the BWF World championships. The opportunity fell into India’s lap. Hyderabad had no clue at the time that it was about to stage the opening scene of a story that would take 17 years to finish telling.

In 2009, the country did not have the cast of characters to make a home World championships a triumph. Badminton had only flickered across the Indian imagination during Prakash Padukone’s All England title in 1980 and P. Gopi Chand’s echoing of it 21 years later — stray flares in a long darkness.

Humble beginnings

Saina Nehwal was the closest thing to a rising star. Aged 19 then, she had just become the first Indian woman to win the World junior championship and the first Indian to claim a Super Series title. The Olympic medal and No. 1 ranking were still years away. P.V. Sindhu was 14.

There was no Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) funding. Corporate India didn’t see a reason to cut a cheque. Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) was in its early stages.

ALSO READ | P.V. Sindhu: “Winning it on home soil, for the country, is all I could ask for”

Saina’s quarterfinal finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympics caught the nation’s attention but the machinery beneath the sport hadn’t caught up to the moment. When the Worlds came to Hyderabad in 2009, the money just wasn’t there.

Gopi Chand himself went door to door, hat in hand, trying to talk India Inc. into caring. Yonex’s entire sponsorship contribution was around 200 boxes of shuttlecocks. Government support was barely a whisper. The multi-purpose Gachibowli indoor stadium became the stage, and the crew running it were young players — and sometimes their parents — pressed into service.

“We hosted a bunch of events in that period. Nationals [2004], Asian championships [2005], India Open [2008 and 2009], and the World championships, after which the Commonwealth Games infrastructure was created in Delhi. We had our challenges, but we hosted a grand event. People still talk about it in Hyderabad,” Gopi Chand recalled.

H.S. Prannoy, a volunteer in 2009, put the improbability of it more bluntly.

“Badminton wasn’t popular then, so people were hesitant to sponsor it. I remember hearing a lot about Gopi sir doing the rounds to ask for sponsorships. But I don’t think there was even one complaint about the event. To pull it off the way they did was spectacular,” he said.

“We were all there at that time as volunteers, helping arrange small things. But the one thing we all remember is that we got a chance to watch guys like Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei up close — which, back then, was almost impossible! The confidence and motivation you get from seeing them live propelled me for the next couple of years.”

ALSO READ | Gopi Chand: “Horizons much bigger for the present players”

The tournament came off without a hitch. And yet India finished empty-handed, still stuck on the single bronze Padukone won in 1983.

Seventeen years later, the Worlds return to a country that no longer merely makes up the numbers. It now expects to be standing on the podium, and usually is. Fourteen medals have arrived in the years since, spread across every discipline but mixed doubles, crowned by Sindhu’s gold in 2019.

Ask what lit the fuse on all of it, Saina’s run at the 2008 Olympics and her bronze four years later in London take centre stage for many.

The spark

“Saina’s performance in 2008 was probably the spark, but the 2012 medal was what really changed things from a funding perspective. Before that, we used to think it was only the Indonesians and Chinese who could medal at these big events. When Saina won, everyone had hope that if she could win one, maybe we could too,” Prannoy said.

“I don’t think there’s been one singular turning point, honestly,” Gopi Chand differed. “My winning the All England was big. Without it, the idea of the academy and the belief that Indians could win at the highest stage wouldn’t have come. Then Saina’s win was the moment Indian women started to believe they could win.”

ALSO READ | Ayush Shetty: “I would like to set my own benchmark”

Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa took the Worlds bronze in 2011, snapping a 28-year drought. A year later, Saina clinched India’s maiden Olympic medal in badminton. By 2015, she had topped the world rankings — the first Indian woman to do so — and claimed the country’s first Worlds silver. Sindhu then walked through the door that had been kicked open, and Indian badminton never looked back.

But medals aren’t the only measure of evolution.

“In 2008, I remember tournaments being cancelled for lack of entries. Today, we hosted an Under-17 event with 4,200 entries at the national level. The sport now needs — and has — a much larger official setup,” Gopi Chand explained.

Ayush Shetty, one of India’s most promising young talents, has seen the winds change at the grassroots. “I didn’t have the support system a 14-year-old has now when I was that age. You have physios, trainers, and everything else now. Back in my day, I didn’t know much about recovery, it was all about working hard only.”

Corporate India slowly began embracing the sport. Money came, infrastructure followed.

Sindhu, now the face of badminton rather than a kid running around in the stands, points to a support system that simply didn’t exist for her predecessors. “OGQ has been backing me since I was 14, when I was still a junior and not even on the senior circuit. That kind of support in the starting stages is very important!”

“Now BAI has its own academy in Guwahati,” BAI general secretary Sanjay Mishra noted. “We have sponsors like Yonex [title sponsor of the 2026 edition]. In 2009, we had just four to five senior ranking tournaments. Now we have 30 to 32 tournaments a year across different levels. It’s a clear reflection of the sport’s popularity.”

Not every experiment survived the journey, though.

ALSO READ | “I’m not ready to give up the torch” – Prannoy isn’t planning to fade away just yet

The Indian Badminton League, later rebranded the Premier Badminton League, briefly turned the sport into a televised, commercial entity, only to buckle under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, undone less by the lack of appetite than by a pile-up of logistics, an overcrowded international calendar, and commercial disagreements behind the scenes.

Government investment, however, firmed up and brought Indian badminton something 2009 never had: depth. Where the country once staked everything on a single Padukone- or Gopi Chand-shaped miracle, it now walks into a World championships with waves of match-winners. If the singles medal doesn’t come, the doubles might deliver instead.

The scale of change

That, more than anything, is the real distance between 2009 and 2026, and it has demanded 17 years of quiet, unglamorous institution-building. Real academies now stand where one man’s mortgaged house once did. A queue of contenders has replaced the single name carrying an entire nation’s hopes.

The real ambition now isn’t one champion every generation but ten players in contention at once, so that whoever wins, India wins.

Hyderabad asked the country to believe. Delhi is proof that it was right to.

Frank admission: Prannoy acknowledged that he wasn’t at his best the last few months.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Need of the hour: Ayush says he has to be ‘tactically better this time’.
| Photo Credit: AFP

India’s hopes of reclaiming the title ended in disappointment as they went down 0-3 to France in the semifinals of the Thomas Cup Finals, settling for a bronze medal here on Saturday.

The absence of Lakshya Sen proved costly as HS Prannoy joined Ayush Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth in defeat, losing 19-21, 16-21 to world No. 17 Toma Junior Popov, as India failed to win a single game in a completely one-sided contest.

India, champions in 2022, had already assured themselves of a medal by reaching the semifinals, adding to their bronze finishes in 1952, 1955 and 1979.

With the win, France became only the second European nation to reach the final after Denmark’s maiden title in 2016.

Ayush, drafted into the opening singles with Lakshya nursing a swollen right elbow, went down 11-21, 9-21 in 39 minutes to world No. 4 Christo Popov.

All eyes were on Srikanth to restore parity, but the former world No. 1 went down fighting 16-21, 18-21 to world No. 10 Alex Lanier in the second singles.

The onus was then on Prannoy to keep India alive, and though the 2023 World Championships bronze medallist put up a better fight, he could not get past world No. 17 Popov.

Srikanth vs Alex

Srikanth began on an even footing, matching his younger opponent at 3-3 in the opening game and mixing his strokes well with tight net play and steep smashes. However, Lanier stepped up the pace to open a lead at the interval.

With rallies kept short, Srikanth struggled with unforced errors and fell behind 9-14. Though he mounted a brief comeback to close the gap to 15-18, a net error halted his charge as Lanier converted his game points.

The second game followed a similar pattern. Srikanth recovered from an early deficit to draw level at 7-7 with a series of attacking winners, but Lanier’s strategy of injecting pace and pressing the forecourt forced more errors from the Indian, who slipped to 10-15.

Srikanth attempted another late push, narrowing the margin to 15-16, but errors crept in during the closing exchanges. Lanier earned two match points after winning a flat rally and sealed the contest when Srikanth found the net.

Ayush vs Christo

Earlier, Ayush, who has been on a rampaging run in this tournament, suffered his second loss to Popov, having also gone down in their only previous meeting at the Hylo Open in 2024.

Popov dictated the proceedings from the outset, using deep, probing returns to move Ayush around the court and seize early control of the net. The Indian showed initial patience but a string of unforced errors allowed the Frenchman to surge to an 8-3 lead.

Ayush produced a few flashes, including sharp cross-court and body smashes, but could not sustain the pressure as Popov extended his advantage to 11-6 at the interval and then 15-6, controlling the pace with precision.

Though a few errors from Popov briefly kept Ayush in the contest, the Indian failed to capitalise, and the Frenchman closed out the opening game comfortably after squandering a few game points.

The second game followed a similar pattern, with Popov tightening his grip early to open up a 4-1 lead and dominating the front court exchanges. Ayush looked tentative and struggled to read his opponent, while Popov repeatedly targeted his backhand corner to pile on the pressure.

The Frenchman raced to an 11-2 lead at the break and never relented, dictating rallies at will. Ayush’s occasional winners came too late as Popov surged to 19-8 before earning a cluster of match points to seal the contest with ease.

“I am a bit disappointed with the performance today but Christo played solid. His deception got me off guard, I was not really stable on the foot. I think overall his pace was really high and he was putting the pressure really good,” Ayush said.

“I think my overall game plan was not right, I would say. I think he just outclassed me today.

“I mean the point was to put the pressure on but I think he really pushed the pace and he was not giving me a chance to hit the net. I think he dominated the net and the shots were a bit fast today. I think that made the difference.”

Lakshya’s absence felt

Former India chief coach Vimal Kumar said the absence of Lakshya Sen was a major setback and was felt in the contest against France.

“France completely overwhelmed India today, and Lakshya’s absence was certainly felt at crucial moments. For India, this is a moment to regroup and come back stronger. The potential in this team is unquestionable,” he said.

Published – May 03, 2026 03:07 am IST

Having delivered the decisive win in India’s 3-0 quarterfinal triumph over Chinese Taipei, rising shuttler Ayush Shetty said there is collective belief within the team that they can reclaim the title they won in 2022.

The 20-year-old secured a stunning 21-16, 21-17 win over world No. 8 and reigning All England Open Badminton Championships champion Lin Chun-Yi in the second singles to seal the contest.

“We believe that we can go all the way. It’s always been like this. We have a solid team and everyone believes that we can do it,” Ayush, who recently reached the final of the Badminton Asia Championships, told BWF.

Comparing the knockout clash to the group stage, Ayush admitted there was added pressure but credited India’s early momentum for easing the situation.

“Yesterday was the group stage, but today there was a bit more pressure. Being 2-0 up made it a bit easier. I think I played with confidence and I’m happy to win for the team,” said Ayush, who has won all his matches so far in his maiden Thomas Cup apperance.

Ayush said his strategy was to stay aggressive and deny his opponent opportunities to dictate play.

“He’s an All England champion and has a really strong attack. The plan was to attack more and not give him many chances, and I think I executed that pretty well. I’m happy,” he said.

No overthinking: Lakshya

Playing the first singles, Lakshya Sen saved two match points to script an 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 win over the world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen to set the tone.

Lakshya credited a shift in mindset and a more proactive approach for his stunning comeback win, saying he stopped “overthinking” and trusted his instincts in the decisive moments.

“It was a really good first game from him. He was much more fearless and I was a bit unsure whether to attack or defend,” Lakshya said.

“The second and third game, even though they went to deuce, I just took an approach of not waiting for things to happen. I tried to be more proactive, especially in the closing stages.” The Almora shuttler said the team event pressure initially affected his decision-making, but timely advice from his coach helped him reset mentally.

“I wasn’t thinking too much about the last match, but in a team event there is a different kind of pressure. In the first game and even early in the second, I was thinking ‘what will happen’,” he said.

“My coach told me I didn’t look confident and that I was overthinking my strategies. He asked me to stop thinking too much and just play with my instincts. That’s what I tried to do in the second and third game.” Lakshya also highlighted the tactical adjustment that turned the match in his favour, as he moved away from short lifts and engaged Chou in longer rallies.

“In the first game, I was giving a lot of short lifts and he could jump and kill the smashes. But in the second and third, I was able to get him into longer rallies and move him around, which helped me play my shots better,” he said.

Acknowledging Chou’s experience and ability to raise his level in crunch moments, Lakshya said the key was to stay composed and push harder in tight situations.

“You always know that in the closing stages he will up the pace and put pressure on you. He is very experienced in those situations,” he said.

“The margins are always very small when we play. You just have to fight till the end and when it’s 15-all or 16-all, you need to give that extra five to ten per cent.” Having progressed to the semifinals, the former champions are assured of at least a bronze.

Staying calm: Chirag

World No. 4 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the Asian Games champions, also defeated Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin 23-21 19-21 21-12 in an hour and 15 minutes to put India in a commanding position.

“We really wanted that first tie in our favor. In the group stages, Lakshya lost two matches. So he really wanted it and we had actually gone to the place where we actually assembled before the match and to see him win from 20-18 down 20-20 and the way he celebrated it, I also celebrated the same way,” Chirag said.

Reflecting on their match, Satwik said: “I think we needed to be a little bit calm on our strokes, we are just too excited or too nervous, like few points we are playing right strategy, but execution was not so good.

“We had to calm down ourselves and that’s what we did I think at 19-17 somewhere. We thought let’s play the full court, we’ll just open up and see what they come up.

“So, I think that’s what I’ll play throughout the game I think we in the second game also we just kept our calm, a few points here and there would have finished. But third game also, we kept our calm and we just wanted to play a little bit more calm and stick to the strategy.”

Published – May 02, 2026 10:46 am IST

India went down 2-3 to China in their final Group A tie of the Thomas Cup Finals, despite fighting comeback wins from Ayush Shetty and HS Prannoy in Horsens on Wednesday (April 29, 2026).

The 2022 champions India, who have already sealed their quarterfinal spot, were on the back foot after Lakshya Sen and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost close encounters to concede a 0-2 lead.

Under pressure, Ayush delivered, recovering from a game down to beat Weng Hong Yang 17-21, 21-13, 21-15 in the second singles and reduce the margin.

It came down to the second doubles match but the pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun couldn’t get across He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu, losing 17-21 13-21 as China took an unassailable 3-1 lead.

Prannoy then rallied from a game down to beat Lu Guang Zu 20-22, 21-19, 21-11 in the third singles to reduce the margin of the defeat.

Lakshya, a 2021 world championships bronze medallist, had beaten world No. 7 Li Shi Feng en route to a runner-up finish at the All England Championships last month but he could not replicate that form in the decider, going down 19-21 21-8 12-21 in the first singles.

World No. 4 pair of Satwik and Chirag also put up a gallant fight, saving five match points before losing 13-21 21-13 24-26 to Paris Olympics silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.

Following the loss, India finished second in Group A and are likely to face 2014 winners Japan in the quarterfinals. Japan topped Group B.

Ayush vs Weng

In the opening game, Ayush stayed in touch early but from 17-17, Weng pulled away, sealing the opening game when the Indian hit the net.

The Indian responded aggressively after the change of ends, racing to 7-1 and stretching it to 14-7 with a barrage of smashes. He brought up seven game points with a sharp cross-court hit and converted it with a delicate net finish.

In the decider, Ayush surged to 8-4, showing sharper anticipation and court coverage, even diving to keep rallies alive. Weng clawed back to 9-8 and then 10-10, but a superb push at the backline gave Ayush the edge at the interval.

Reading his opponent well, Ayush moved to 17-13 before sealing it in style, earning five match points with a deceptive return. Weng eventually smashed long as Ayush wrapped up a gritty comeback to keep India alive.

“I think I really enjoyed that. It was really good. It’s my first Thomas Cup. The goal was to win. But yeah, unfortunately it was two close games. But happy to get the point for the team,” he said.

“The josh is really high. I mean, we really believe that we can go all the way. I think the team believes, I believe it. I think we can do it.”

Lakshya vs Li

Lagging behind 3-6, Lakshya mixed his attack with a cross-court slice and a sharp smash to claw back but Li capitalised on a series of weak lifts to move ahead 10-8 and carry a slender advantage into the break.

Lakshya erased the deficit but both players were locked at 19-19 before Li produced two decisive points to take the opening game.

The second game was a one-way traffic as Lakshya raced to 5-0 and then 11-2, aided by a string of unforced errors from Li. The Indian maintained relentless pressure to force a decider.

In the third game, Lakshya trailed 1-4 but recovered to 7-7. But repeated errors allowed Li to regain control. The Chinese shuttler stretched the lead to 17-12 and soon earned eight match points, converting with a clinical cross-court smash.

Prannoy vs Lu

Prannoy was in control for most of the opening game but a sudden lapse saw him squander four game points, allowing Lu Guang Zu to snatch it.

Stung, the Indian responded with intent, racing to an 11-6 lead at the break with a powerful straight smash. Lu, however, tightened his game, drawing level at 12-12 before both players traded blows to stay locked at 19-19.

A fortunate net cord gave Prannoy a game point, which he converted with a superb defensive return to force the decider.

In the final game, Prannoy surged 4-0 ahead but Lu again fought back to 6-6. The Indian regained control to lead by three points at the interval and then took charge after the change of ends, dominating the rallies and unleashing sharp cross-court smashes to open up a 15-8 gap.

Lu faltered under pressure, spraying errors, as Prannoy earned a flurry of match points and sealed it comfortably when the Chinese shuttler went long.

Published – April 30, 2026 01:45 am IST