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”.

For over a decade, H.S. Prannoy has been Indian badminton’s quiet engine – the fighter who kept turning up, grinding and powering the country’s rise on the world stage when the spotlight was elsewhere. But this year, the story has moved on without him.

As the World championships arrive in New Delhi, the responsibility of carrying India’s flag has passed to a new generation – Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty – while Prannoy watches from the sidelines.

It’s a symbol of transition, and to his credit, the 34-year-old doesn’t dodge it. He​’s candid, almost disarmingly so, even as he insists the torch hasn​’t left his hands just yet.

“I’m not ready to give up the torch. I’ll still try for another year or two,” Prannoy told The Hindu.

“But as a player, you come to terms with the fact that there might be tough years in your career, and honestly, the last two years have been difficult for me. You always want to play at the top level, and when that doesn’t happen, you’re disappointed. I would’ve loved to play in New Delhi next week.”

But disappointment, for Prannoy, ​doesn’t curdle into self-pity. Instead, the veteran reaches for perspective – a decade-plus career’s worth of it.

“The problem with us players is that ​we forget what ​w​e did in the last 15 years and only think about what’s coming next. You never really appreciate what happened before. I don’t even remember how many World championships I’ve played​! At this point, it’s important to acknowledge that we did what we could, and this year I couldn’t; I wasn’t at my best in the last few months and didn’t qualify. And that’s okay.”

For Prannoy, the changing of the guard isn’t just an inevitability he’s grudgingly accepted. It’s a cause he actively fights for, every single day on the training court.

“The next generation does have to take over eventually. Someone like me, at the age of 34 or 35, shouldn’t still be ahead of a lot of the younger players. Honestly, they should beat me at this age, they’re faster than me. I keep telling them this so that I also stay on my toes in training. I’ve always loved that push, and it’s part of why I’ve exceeded what I thought I was capable of.”

And that same competitive fire, the thing that has always driven him, is what keeps him from walking away just yet.

“I still feel that over the next two years I’ll put in everything to get back to the top 10. So it’s something where you keep telling the youngsters it’s not good enough yet, but you also keep checking whether they’re arriving at the right rankings at the right time. I’m not ready to give up the torch because deep down, if the body allows it, I’ll still be there and I’m not going to stop on an easy note,” he explained.

“I’ll try hard until the last day and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work out, I’m completely okay with that. This tournament is a reminder of how much someone like K. Srikanth and I wanted to play there but couldn’t, and I’m sure it’ll push us both for the next six months, hoping that at the next big event we can be back at the top.”

Until that day comes, one thing is clear: Prannoy isn’t ready to be written off. And neither, in his mind, is Srikanth.

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.

The Commonwealth Games (CWG) have traditionally been one of India’s most productive multi-sport events, with the country consistently returning with a healthy medal haul. But at Glasgow 2026, India’s prospects have taken a hit after several sports, including badminton, were dropped from the programme, with organisers holding cost management responsible for the trim.

The decision, understandably, has not gone down well within India’s badminton community, with chief national coach P. Gopi Chand among those disappointed.

“Commonwealth was an important event and badminton not being there in Glasgow was quite shocking. It’s done and dusted for this edition, but we are hoping that in our edition in Ahmedabad (2030), we would have badminton featuring back again. Indian players are stronger than ever, so we do expect some medals from the event as well,” he said in an interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India.

“From an athlete’s perspective, Asian Games are tough for some events, but also there are some events where the participation of countries like Australia, England and Jamaica makes the standard of the Commonwealth Games higher than the Asian Games.”

The CWG is not the only area where badminton has seen change. The sport has also introduced proposals that have split opinion, including a new scoring system and trials involving synthetic shuttlecocks.

“What’s the point of complaining when it’s done? That’s one of the reasons why I haven’t spoken against it,” he quipped.

“For me, the sport has been very, very exciting in the last few years. We have tournaments filled with crowds. The calendar is packed with tournaments, and there was no need for us to mess with the system,” Gopi Chand said, talking about the new 3×15 scoring system replacing the traditional 21-point format.

The 52-year-old was, however, more receptive to the prospect of synthetic shuttlecocks, citing the need to make the sport more sustainable.

Gopi Chand also weighed in on Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s remarks about the lack of recognition for badminton players after India’s Thomas Cup bronze medal-winning team returned home to a subdued reception.

Satwik’s comments sparked debate, prompting him to later clarify that he was not asking for “money or grand parades” but simply urging people “to celebrate every win, big or small” across all sports.

“In a lot of ways, I endorse what Satwik said. It’s unfortunate that one of the best players the country has ever produced, especially in doubles, feels that way. We’ve never had anybody reach anywhere close to where they have reached. What he said is genuine. To have them win something big and then not get the recognition which they feel they should is unfortunate,” he explained.

“That said, I genuinely would love to see badminton and other sports being recognised more. But unfortunately, ground reality is that it doesn’t happen. Everybody should lend a hand to ensure that these players’ performances are portrayed better and the visibility is more, so that it is not just fans watching them but also the younger kids taking them as role models and we produce better players for the future.”

(Watch the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games live and exclusive on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV).

Indian shuttler Rithvik Sanjeevi, who scored a hard-fought 17-21, 23-21, 21-16 win over Croatia’s Aria Dinata to clinch the title at the 2026 Valence Alpes International in France recently, attributed his success to an improvement in his net game, which he had long identified as a weakness.

“My net game improved from match to match. I was able to read the shuttle earlier and create openings to finish the rally. My net play and attack were on point throughout the tournament,” said Rithvik.

The title run was built on consistency and composure. Rithvik eased past France’s Arthur Chardain 21-19, 21-8 and Amaury Lièvre 21-12, 21-15 before overcoming Israel’s Daniil Dubovenko 21-17, 14-21, 21-10 in the quarterfinals. He then edged Denmark’s William Bogebjerg 21-14, 18-21, 21-17 in the semifinals to set up a title clash that tested both his tactical awareness and resilience.

Despite dropping the opening game in the final, Rithvik never felt the contest was slipping away.

“I always think that I can catch up from anywhere. It doesn’t matter what the score is. If every player has that mindset, I guess they can achieve anything,” he said.

The Indian revealed that he had studied Dinata’s game beforehand but deliberately kept his own attacking instincts in check early in the match. “I initially kept the shuttle in play. I didn’t want to use all my strengths at the start because I wanted to understand his game better. Dinata played a very clean first game, so it took me a while to recalibrate. After changing my game plan in the second game, I played the third with confidence,” said Rithvik, who is now 77th in the BWF rankings.

The triumph marks another significant milestone for the Chennai-born shuttler, whose career has been interrupted by injuries, including a meniscus tear that required surgery during the Covid lockdown and Grade 3 ankle ligament injuries in 2023 and 2024.

With the confidence of an international title behind him, Rithvik has now set his sights on breaking into the world’s top 50, while keeping his longer-term dream of winning an Olympic gold medal firmly in view.