Home-court buzz in New Delhi as Badminton World Championships get under way

Players held intense final practice sessions at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi as the Badminton World Championships prepare to begin on Monday, with the tournament scheduled to run until August 23.

The championships mark the event’s return to India for the first time since 2009, and the venue was already active with players fine-tuning routines and tactics. World No. 2 Wang Zhiyi said: “I feel like the drift… the weather, everything is very well maintained and very good as compared to last time.” Wang added that her recent focus had been on training rather than obsessing over opponents.

Former Olympic champion Chen Yufei is not fully fit after retiring injured against P.V. Sindhu at the Japan Open, an incident that allowed Sindhu to reach her first final in more than two years. Chen acknowledged her condition, saying: “It’s better than the last match but I think it’s not 100%,” and she said she would not single out any opponent, preferring to “focus on each match.”

Chen’s match-by-match approach could be tested by a potential meeting with An Se-young later in the draw; Chen and An hold a 14-14 head-to-head record dating back to 2018. That even head-to-head record was cited in the context of possible later-round matchups at the championships.

Men’s doubles pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang remain in search of a first world title after winning bronze in 2023; they spoke of the value of their partnership, saying they “motivate each other” and that they move on quickly after mistakes. The pair referenced their shared aim of progressing beyond their previous best finish at the World Championships.

Liang and Wang’s rivalry with India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty adds an extra layer of interest: the Chinese duo had beaten the Indians four times in succession before Satwiksairaj and Chirag recorded a win in Paris last year, after which the Chinese pair responded with a victory at the World Tour Finals. Those recent results set up a potentially intriguing rematch should the two pairs meet at this tournament.

Practice-court scenes reflected that competitive intensity: Satwiksairaj and Chirag sparred with M.R. Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan, while Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila trained alongside Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde. Sindhu and Ayush Shetty exchanged attacking rallies with coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama observing; the practice atmosphere was captured in images credited to Devyanshi Bihani.

Competition formally begins on Monday at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium and will run through August 23, with players moving from practice into the tournament schedule over the coming days.