BWF Worlds Draw: Sindhu, Ayush Face Tough Tests

By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
Aug 06, 2026
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The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has released the official draw for the 2026 World Badminton Championships, which will be held in New Delhi from August 17 to August 23. India's leading shuttlers have received a mixed draw, with some facing manageable opening matches while others begin their campaigns against the world's best.

Ayush Shetty Draws World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi

The biggest headline from the draw is Ayush Shetty's opening-round clash against reigning world champion and world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China.

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The Round of 64 encounter will be their fourth meeting overall and the third this season. Shi Yu Qi has won each of their previous meetings, making the Chinese star the favourite. However, Indian head coach Pullela Gopichand believes Ayush's aggressive style could make the contest highly competitive.

PV Sindhu Begins Against Ireland's Sophia Noble

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will launch her campaign against Sophia Noble of Ireland.

Although Sindhu's first-round fixture appears favourable, the tournament path becomes significantly tougher thereafter. A potential Round of 16 meeting with China's Wang Ziyi, followed by a possible quarterfinal against Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani, could test the Indian ace. Olympic champion An Se Young also features in the same half of the draw.

Lakshya Sen Gets Comfortable Opening Match

India's 14th seed Lakshya Sen will take on Austria's Collins Phillimon in the opening round.

If he progresses, Lakshya could eventually face Thailand's second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn before a possible quarterfinal against France's Alex Lanier or Christo Popov.

Unnati Hooda Ready for World Championship Debut

Young Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda will make her maiden World Championships appearance against Thet Htar Thuzar of Myanmar.

A deep run in the tournament could set up an exciting quarterfinal clash against Japan's former world champion Akane Yamaguchi.

Seeded Doubles Pairs Receive First-Round Byes

All seeded pairs across the men's, women's and mixed doubles events have received opening-round byes.

Among them is India's top men's doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who advance directly to the second round.

Indian doubles coach Tan Kim Her admitted that Satwik's shoulder injury remains the team's biggest concern but expressed confidence that the pair can compete for the world title if they remain physically fit and mentally strong.

Gopichand Confident of India's Medal Chances

Indian chief coach Pullela Gopichand described the overall draw as favourable for the host nation and expressed optimism about India's chances of reaching the podium.

Speaking after the draw, Gopichand highlighted Ayush Shetty's clash with Shi Yu Qi as the standout opening-round contest.

He said facing the Chinese star early in the tournament could actually work in Ayush's favour. According to Gopichand, an upset victory would significantly improve the youngster's path in the competition.

Tournament Format

The men's and women's singles events will each feature 64 players, while the men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles competitions will each include 48 pairs.

With home support behind them in New Delhi, India's top badminton stars will aim to convert promising draws into medal-winning performances at one of the sport's most prestigious tournaments.

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