India to host Badminton World Championships 2026 in New Delhi after 17 years

The Badminton World Championships will return to India in August 2026, with New Delhi confirmed as the host city by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Monday, September 1.

India last staged the prestigious event 17 years ago, when Hyderabad hosted it in 2009, making the upcoming edition a much-anticipated homecoming for Indian badminton fans. The Delhi event will also mark the tournament’s return to Asia after four years, following Nanjing’s turn in 2018.

The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 2025 championships in Paris. During the handover, BWF president Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, Federation Francaise de Badminton chief Frank Laurent, and Sanjay Mishra, general secretary of the Badminton Association of India, were present. Mishra promised that India would uphold the “excellence and grandeur” showcased in 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," Mishra was quoted as saying in a BAI release.

How did India perform in BWF World Championship 2025?

At the 2025 BWF World Championships in Paris, India extended its medal run, led by the men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Seeded ninth, the duo showcased top form, edging past China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in a close Round of 16 clash (21-19, 21-15, 21-17) before ousting Olympic medallists Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia 21-12, 21-19 in the quarterfinals. Their impressive campaign secured India’s lone medal at the event.

In the semifinals, Rankireddy and Shetty battled hard but fell 19-21, 21-18, 12-21 to China’s Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi, settling for bronze—their second medal at the World Championships. With this, India maintained its record of winning medals at every edition since 2011.

World No. 15 P.V. Sindhu also made her mark by defeating world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi 21-19, 21-15, but her campaign ended in the quarterfinals after a tough three-game loss to Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani.

In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto caused an upset by beating fifth seeds Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet 19-21, 21-12, 21-15 to reach the last eight before bowing out. HS Prannoy exited in the second round after a narrow defeat, while Lakshya Sen fell in the first round against top seed Shi Yu Qi.