The BWF World Championship returns to India after 17 years as badminton enters a new era

India’s PV Sindhu (AP/PTI) New Delhi: Fifty days from today, the world’s best badminton players will enter the Indira Gandhi (IG) Indoor Stadium in New Delhi for the BWF World Championships from August 17 to 23, returning to Indian soil for the first time since Hyderabad hosted the event in 2009. This is much more than just another big tournament for badminton in the country. It is a celebration of a remarkable journey.Seventeen years ago, when Hyderabad hosted the Worlds, Indian badminton revolved largely around one name – Saina Nehwal. Olympic medals were still a dream, world titles seemed distant and 14-year-old PV Sindhu was quietly training at the Pullela Gopichand Academy.Few could have predicted the transformation that would follow.The breakthrough came in 2011 when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in the women’s doubles, ending India’s 28-year wait for a world medal. It was a result that changed perceptions and signaled the arrival of a new force in world badminton.Then came the milestones in quick succession. Saina became India’s first world silver medalist and the country’s first women’s world number one. Sindhu took Indian badminton to a whole new level, winning five world medals before creating history in Basel 2019 as the nation’s first world champion.But India’s rise was no longer about one or two stars.Kidambi Srikanth reached world number one, Lakshya Sen claimed world bronze, HS Prannoy stepped onto the podium in 2023, while Satwiksiraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became one of the world’s leading men’s doubles pairs. The crowning achievement came in 2022 when India lifted the Thomas Cup, becoming only the sixth country to win the prestigious title.The numbers tell the story of this transformation: since 2011, India has won 14 world medals and finished on the podium every year until 2025 – an extraordinary streak of 11 medals.For Sindhu, the return of the worlds to India has a special meaning. “Some of my most memorable moments and proudest achievements have come on this stage,” she told TOI. “After 17 years of hosting the Worlds, it is a landmark and a reflection of how far the sport has come in our country.”Sen believes that domestic competition brings a different energy. “Indian badminton has grown tremendously over the years and hosting the World Championship after 17 years is a proud moment for everyone associated with the sport,” he told this publication.For youngster Ayush Shetty, who is set to make his World debut, this opportunity is a dream come true. “Growing up, the Worlds was one of the tournaments I always looked forward to. Like every young badminton player, I dreamed of one day getting a chance to compete on this stage. To make my debut at the Worlds and to do it when India is hosting the event after 17 years is incredibly special,” he said.Ponnappa, who featured in the 2009 edition and later became part of India’s historic bronze medal breakthrough in 2011, sees the event as a reflection of the evolution of the sport. “Badminton in India has grown by leaps and bounds since then. It is a huge opportunity for our players and a special opportunity for the fans to watch the world’s best competition at home,” she said.Prannoy, who vividly remembers star-gazing in Hyderabad in 2009, hopes New Delhi will inspire the next generation. “I’m sure this year’s Worlds will provide the same incredible experience for young players and make many of them dream of taking up the sport,” he said.BY THE NUMBERS— 14World Cup medals won by India (2011–2025)— 11Consecutive releases with at least one Indian medal (2011-2025)— 1World championPV Sindhu (2019) – India’s first and only world champion.— 3India’s world number oneSaina Nehwal (Women’s Singles)Kidambi Srikanth (Men’s Singles)Satwiksiraj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (Men’s Doubles)— 2011A landmark year for Indian badmintonJwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa claimed bronze in the women’s doubles to end India’s 28-year wait for a World Championship medal.— 18 YEARSSindhu became India’s youngest World Championship medalist(Bronze, 2013)— 31 YEARSHS Prannoy became India’s oldest World Cup medalist(Bronze, 2023)–17 YEARS OLDThe World Cup is returning to India after a 17-year waitFrom Hyderabad 2009 to New Delhi 2026