Badminton Association of India copped brickbats aplenty earlier this year after the Indian Open at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi was marred by monkey intrusions, bird-related disruptions, issues with ageing infrastructure, subpar spectator facilities, and the capital’s infamous pollution.

The venue, which was originally built for the 1982 Asian Games and later renovated for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, will now open its doors again to the World championships, starting Monday, and organisers will hope to make headlines for the right reasons this time, ensuring that nothing but the sport takes centre stage.

The opportunity is doubly significant given India is set to host the next Commonwealth Games and the nation’s ambitious bid for the 2036 Olympics.

“Beyond the performance of our players, as an organiser, we want to show the world that we can host any tournament. They’re trying to bring badminton back to the Commonwealth Games, and we’re also looking at the Olympics. The government is supporting all our efforts, and I’d say this could be one of the best World championships ever,” BAI general secretary Sanjay Mishra told The Hindu.

“The main problems at the Indian Open were the pigeons and monkeys. It was also very cold back then, but none of that is going to be an issue this time around.”

That pursuit has drawn some interesting ideas, including enlisting the services of trained langur-mimicry artists, whose videos have gone viral on social media.

“You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort. Our solutions may be uniquely Indian, but so are our warmth, our spirit and our hospitality,” P.V. Sindhu posted on X.

New seating, fresh wooden flooring for the courts, a modern lighting system and a waterproofed roof are the improvements that have slipped under the radar in the meantime. Sanjay revealed that BAI is working with a budget of around ₹25 crore for the tournament, with the Sports Authority of India undertaking the renovation work thus far.

“What would success at this tournament for us look like? Very simple. If there are no complaints on all fronts, unlike the Indian Open,” he said, before adding, “Besides medals for our players!”

​P. Gopi Chand is one of those rare athletes whose coaching legacy has eclipsed their playing career.

A former All England champion, he has been instrumental in establishing a system that produced India’s modern badminton stars, including Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu.

A few years after his now-renowned academy opened its doors, India hosted the World championships for the first time, in his backyard — Hyderabad, in 2009. India was just one of many countries taking part that year, still finding its feet on badminton’s biggest individual stage.

Seventeen years on, the tournament returns to Indian soil, with New Delhi playing host this time.

In those years, the country has bagged 15 medals at the Worlds, including Sindhu’s historic gold in 2019.

Ahead of the showpiece that gets underway on Monday, a conversation with Gopi Chand kept circling back to a question he has fielded for years, in one form or another: how do you measure today’s generation against his own? His answer was unambiguous: you don’t.

“I think it would be very unfair to compare or even think of comparisons. Today’s challenges are today’s, and today’s opportunities are today’s. Back in the day, our aspirations and our outlook were limited. Today, the kids are a lot more aware and their horizons are much bigger. They step in with an ‘I want to be a World champion’ kind of attitude,” he told The Hindu.

For Gopi Chand, it’s a shift shaped as much by opportunity as by ambition.

“Back in the day, we wanted to play well, avoid injuries and get a job. That is all we thought about.” That is not the case today. Across generations, there are very different mindsets and aspirations.”

For the 52-year-old, that revelation has also been personal. His daughter, Gayatri, has carved out her own career — and he was careful to draw a line between his achievements and hers.

“She’s done well. She’s a (double) Commonwealth Games medallist, got to two All England semifinals and is the highest-ranked women’s doubles player the country has ever produced. Forget about what I have done. As a parent, that makes me happy and proud. I’m rejoicing at what she’s doing and I don’t want my All England (triumph) to overshadow the phenomenal job she is doing.”

For all the generational gaps he pointed to, Gopi Chand was clear about where Indian badminton goes from here.

“I’m looking forward to the next generation of champions. And India hosting the World championships again should catapult that jump and there’s a huge opportunity for us to propel further”.

With the Badminton World Championships around the corner and the draws now sealed, all eyes are on Ayush Shetty, who has been handed the toughest opening match among all Indian singles players.

Ayush, on his tournament debut, will face World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi. The odds are not in favour of the 21-year-old, having lost all three meetings to date, including the most recent one in the final of the Asian Championships.

“As soon as I got Shi (in the draw), I told myself that I was ready to face anyone. As I’m unseeded, I was prepared to play even the World No. 1. It’s just another match, though I’m aware that it’ll be a really tough battle,” Ayush said in an online interaction.

Despite the daunting task at hand, Ayush cut a confident figure when asked about the rematch, stating that he has analysed all their meetings and is ready for the ‘special’ clash.

“Shi is a really tough opponent to play against. I remember my match against him in the Asian Championships final; he was really prepared. But I think I’ve gotten better and we’ll be better prepared this time. I really have to work hard while playing against him. I’ll have to be tactically better this time,” he said.

“It gives me confidence that I have done well in the Thomas Cup and Asian Championships, but the World Championships is definitely higher-ranked for me and my team. It’s a good challenge, and I’m ready.”

This is the second straight edition in which an Indian will face Shi in the opening round, after Lakshya Sen went down 17-21, 19-21 to the Chinese player last year.

Lakshya, however, avenged that loss when the two met again in the first round at the All England earlier this year.

Shi, who will be defending his title, has been far from his best in recent weeks, and that gives a now fully fit Ayush a chance to cause an early upset.

“I had some pain (elbow injury) earlier, but now it’s all good. I’ll be at 100% during the Worlds,” he stated.