BWF World Championships: Indian Shuttlers Set for Day 1 Action in Delhi, Check Live Streaming Details

The BWF World Championships 2026 will begin in New Delhi on Monday, August 17, marking the return of the prestigious badminton tournament to India after 17 years.

The opening day features a star-studded line-up, with defending champion Shi Yuqi, Olympic champion An Se Young and home favourite PV Sindhu among those in action. The tournament will begin at 9 am, with Star Sports carrying the television broadcast and JioHotstar streaming the matches live in India.

PV Sindhu Begins Title Challenge

Former world champion PV Sindhu will open her women’s singles campaign against Ireland’s Sophia Noble, ranked 141st in the world.

The 2019 champion is targeting a sixth World Championships medal, which would give her the most medals in women’s singles history. Sindhu currently shares the record of five medals with China’s Zhang Ning.

The Indian star faces a demanding draw, with a potential third-round clash against third seed Wang Zhi Yi and a possible semifinal meeting with Olympic champion An Se Young.

An, the top contender for the women’s singles title, will start against Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova, ranked 40th.

Ayush Shetty vs Shi Yuqi

The headline men’s singles clash of Day 1 will see India’s Ayush Shetty take on defending champion Shi Yuqi.

Shetty has lost all three of his previous meetings with the Chinese star but will look to turn the tables in front of the home crowd. The Indian youngster comes into the tournament with confidence after reaching the Badminton Asia Championships final earlier this year.

Shetty said he feels physically stronger after overcoming injury concerns and is determined not to dwell on his previous results against Shi.

Indian Doubles Teams in Action

India’s opening match of the tournament will feature Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun, ranked 24th, against Ireland’s Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds.

Tanisha Crasto and Gayatri Gopichand will then begin their women’s doubles campaign against Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez.

Another Indian women’s doubles pair, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singh, will face Spain’s Nikol Carulla and Carmen Jimenez.

All Indian players scheduled to compete on Monday will play their matches on Court 1.

More Stars Take Centre Stage

Fifth seed Han Yue will face experienced Scottish shuttler Kirsty Gilmour, while 15th seed Toma Junior Popov will meet Poland’s Dominik Kwinta.

Popov will also feature in men’s doubles alongside his brother Christo, with the French pair facing Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami.

India’s biggest remaining names, including Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will begin their campaigns on Tuesday.

Where to watch: The BWF World Championships will be broadcast live on Star Sports, while fans in India can stream the action on JioHotstar.