Archive · 16 Aug 2026
Sindhu targets historic sixth BWF Worlds medal; Satwik-Chirag chase glory
Badminton is a sport where players hit a little shuttlecock over a net.
Every so often, the best badminton players in the world meet for a big tournament called the BWF World Championships.
This year, the tournament is happening in New Delhi, India.
It is the first time in 17 years that India gets to host this event.
A very famous Indian player named PV Sindhu has already won five medals at this tournament.
Now she is trying to win a sixth medal, which no one in history has ever done.
Another Indian pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, also hopes to win a medal in doubles.
One of them has a sore shoulder, so that is a worry.
Lots of fans will come to cheer, and a few young players are playing in the tournament for the very first time.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is chasing an unprecedented sixth BWF World Championships medal, a feat no player has achieved before.
The BWF World Championships return to India after 17 years, with New Delhi hosting for the first time since Hyderabad staged the event in 2009.
Fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, two-time bronze medallists, aim for another podium finish despite Satwik's recurring shoulder injury.
Debutants Unnati Hooda and Ayush Shetty are part of India's campaign, with Ayush facing defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi.
Organisers upgraded the New Delhi venue after complaints over air quality, bird droppings, venue hygiene and stray animals at the India Open earlier this year.
- Who
- Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and a wider Indian contingent including Lakshya Sen, Unnati Hooda and Ayush Shetty.
- What
- The BWF World Championships badminton tournament, where Sindhu is chasing a record sixth medal and India's stars are targeting podium finishes at home.
- When
- The tournament begins on Monday; the report is dated August 16.
- Where
- New Delhi, India — the event's first return to India since Hyderabad hosted in 2009.
- Why
- To chase history and medals on home soil, with Sindhu seeking to become the first player ever to win six World Championships medals.
- Event
- BWF World Championships
- Host city
- New Delhi, India
- India's last hosting
- Hyderabad, 2009 (17 years ago)
- PV Sindhu's record
- Five-time medallist chasing a history-making sixth
- Sindhu's seeding
- Ninth seed
- Sindhu's first opponent
- Sophia Nobel of Ireland (world No. 141)
- Sindhu's recent form
- Won the Japan Open Super 750 last month
- Satwik-Chirag
- Fifth seeds, two-time bronze medallists (2022, 2025)
