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New Delhi will host the 2026 BWF World Championships, the sport’s most prestigious individual tournament. The confirmation came on Monday from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) during the closing ceremony of the 2025 edition in Paris.
The global showpiece will return to Indian soil for the first time since 2009, when Hyderabad hosted the event. The 2026 edition in New Delhi will also mark the tournament’s return to Asia after an eight-year gap, with Nanjing, China, having hosted it last in 2018.
The symbolic handover ceremony in Paris featured BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, Federation Francaise de Badminton chief Frank Laurent, and Badminton Association of India (BAI) general secretary Sanjay Mishra. During the ceremony, Mishra assured the badminton world that India would uphold the standards set by Paris.
“We assure that India will give nothing less than 100 per cent to uphold and carry forward the same standards of excellence and grandeur that Paris has showcased. We look forward to welcoming the badminton family to Delhi,” said Mishra in a BAI statement.
“For India, hosting the Championships again highlights its standing as both a powerhouse on court and a major destination on the global badminton map,” the BAI added.
India’s journey in the World Championships began with Prakash Padukone’s historic bronze in Copenhagen, which laid the foundation for the nation’s growth in the sport. Over the years, India has developed into a consistent medal contender, with a medal streak unbroken since 2011.
Leading the charge is PV Sindhu, India’s most decorated shuttler at the event, with five medals to her name, a gold (2019), two silvers, and two bronzes. Her 2019 triumph in Basel, where she defeated Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in a commanding display, remains a defining moment in Indian badminton history.
India’s strength in women’s singles has been further bolstered by Saina Nehwal, who added a silver in 2015 and a bronze in 2017. That 2017 edition marked a historic milestone as both Saina and Sindhu stood on the podium.
Doubles has also seen rising success, with Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa earning the country`s first doubles medal in 2011. More recently, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinched their second World Championship bronze in Paris 2025.
India’s male shuttlers have also made significant strides in singles, with Kidambi Srikanth (silver, 2021), Lakshya Sen (bronze, 2021), B Sai Praneeth (bronze, 2019), and HS Prannoy (bronze, 2023) all earning podium finishes in recent years.
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