India Hosts BWF World Championships After 17 Years
The BWF World Championships 2026 concluded on Sunday, August 23, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, marking the tournament's return to India after 17 years. India last hosted the event in 2009. The championships, which ran from August 17 to 23, saw India welcome the global badminton community with what BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul described as a country that 'opened its heart to the world.'
Patama praised India's passionate badminton fans and the efforts of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), the Government of India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the Sports Authority of India. She also acknowledged the contributions of volunteers, technical officials, sponsors, and partners, noting that much of their work took place away from the spotlight.
'What a week New Delhi has given us. India waited 17 years for this moment, and India made every year count. The BWF World Championships 2026 have won praise from every corner of our sport,' Patama said in an official statement released on Sunday.
Indian Shuttlers' Highlights
Among the standout performances for India, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a historic bronze medal in women's doubles, becoming only the second Indian women's doubles pair to win a World Championships medal. Ayush Shetty also made headlines by stunning defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yuqi in the opening round.
PV Sindhu, a former world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, continued her strong run, defeating Canada's Wen Yu Zhang in straight games (21-16, 21-17) on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals. She had earlier won convincingly against Ireland's Sophia Noble (21-7, 21-11). Sindhu, who has won five medals at the event including gold in 2019, played in front of a home crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
On day 2 of the championships, Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda led India's challenge. The schedule for August 18 featured a busy day for Indian shuttlers, including Lakshya Sen in men's singles, Unnati Hooda in women's singles, and several doubles matches.
BAI Secretary General Reflects on Successful Hosting
BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra expressed happiness over the praise received for hosting the event. The BAI had faced criticism over the organisation of the India Open in recent years, but Mishra cited Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt's tweet as proof of success. Blichfeldt, who had previously criticised playing conditions at the India Open, was reportedly appreciative of the World Championships arrangements.
'The biggest example is Mia Blichfeldt, who was negative last time. She was the first one to tweet and appreciate our efforts this time. And all the players, not only players, officials and BWF members, all of them appreciated it,' Mishra said.
BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund also praised the facilities and conditions at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, expressing satisfaction over the venue's rapid transformation.
Finals and Broadcast Details
The finals of the BWF World Championships 2026 took place on Sunday, August 23, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The schedule included matches across all five categories: Men's Singles, Women's Singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles. The finals were broadcast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar.
The tournament featured several upsets and long matches, with the world's number one tennis player said to be present at the closing ceremonies. This edition was noted as the 30th of the competition.