From Hyderabad 2009 to Delhi 2026: How Indian badminton reshaped itself for the World Championships
As the BWF World Championships prepare to begin in August 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi, Indian badminton arrives having transformed markedly since it first hosted the tournament in Hyderabad in 2009.
Denmark and Macau withdrew their bids for the 2009 Worlds, handing hosting rights to India, but the country then lacked the depth and infrastructure to capitalise fully on the opportunity. Badminton had only sporadically captured national attention since Prakash Padukone’s All England title in 1980 and P. Gopi Chand’s echoing of it 21 years later; in 2009 Saina Nehwal was 19, fresh from becoming the first Indian woman to win the World junior championship and the first Indian to claim a Super Series title, while P.V. Sindhu was 14. There was no Target Olympic Podium Scheme funding, corporate support was minimal, and Olympic Gold Quest was still in its early stages.
The 2009 staging in Hyderabad was run on a shoestring by organisers and volunteers, with Gopi Chand recounting the lead-up: “We hosted a bunch of events in that period. Nationals [2004], Asian championships [2005], India Open [2008 and 2009], and the World championships, after which the Commonwealth Games infrastructure was created in Delhi. We had our challenges, but we hosted a grand event. People still talk about it in Hyderabad.” Yonex’s sponsorship that year was reportedly about 200 boxes of shuttlecocks and government support was limited; stadium crew often included young players and their parents.
H.S. Prannoy, a volunteer at the 2009 Worlds, described the reluctance of sponsors at the time and the effect of seeing the sport’s stars live: “Badminton wasn’t popular then, so people were hesitant to sponsor it. I remember hearing a lot about Gopi sir doing the rounds to ask for sponsorships. But I don’t think there was even one complaint about the event. To pull it off the way they did was spectacular,” he said. “The confidence and motivation you get from seeing them live propelled me for the next couple of years.”
The tournament itself proceeded smoothly, but India left without medals and remained reliant on the single Worlds bronze Prakash Padukone won in 1983. Over the following 17 years the country accumulated 14 World Championship medals across every discipline except mixed doubles, with P.V. Sindhu’s 2019 gold as the highest point of that stretch. The article states that India has transitioned from participating to expecting podium finishes at the Worlds.
Several results and moments are identified as catalysts for change: Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa’s World Championships bronze in 2011, Saina Nehwal’s Olympic bronze in 2012 and her rise to world No. 1 by 2015, and Sindhu’s emergence thereafter. On Saina’s role, Prannoy said: “Saina’s performance in 2008 was probably the spark, but the 2012 medal was what really changed things from a funding perspective. Before that, we used to think it was only the Indonesians and Chinese who could medal at these big events. When Saina won, everyone had hope that if she could win one, maybe we could too.” Gopi Chand offered a different perspective: “I don't think there's been one singular turning point, honestly,” adding, “My winning the All England was big. Without it, the idea of the academy and the belief that Indians could win at the highest stage wouldn’t have come. Then Saina’s win was the moment Indian women started to believe they could win.”
Growth at the grassroots and institutional levels is highlighted by rising participation and a larger administrative setup; the article notes that tournaments were once cancelled for lack of entries but that a recent Under-17 national event attracted 4,200 entries. Ayush Shetty described improved early-career support: “I didn’t have the support system a 14-year-old has now when I was that age. You have physios, trainers, and everything else now. Back in my day, I didn’t know much about recovery, it was all about working hard only.”
P.V. Sindhu credited early backing from Olympic Gold Quest: “OGQ has been backing me since I was 14, when I was still a junior and not even on the senior circuit. That kind of support in the starting stages is very important!” BAI general secretary Sanjay Mishra pointed to structural growth: “Now BAI has its own academy in Guwahati,” and “We have sponsors like Yonex [title sponsor of the 2026 edition]. In 2009, we had just four to five senior ranking tournaments. Now we have 30 to 32 tournaments a year across different levels. It’s a clear reflection of the sport’s popularity.” The Indian Badminton League, later the Premier Badminton League, is noted as a short-lived commercial experiment that faltered under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, logistical challenges, an overcrowded international calendar and commercial disagreements.
Government investment and expanded support structures are credited with producing depth across disciplines, replacing the earlier reliance on a single standout player with multiple contenders and established academies. Hyderabad asked the country to believe. Delhi is proof that it was right to.