The BWF World Championships 2026 kicks off today in New Delhi, marking the tournament’s historic return to India after 17 years. The opening day features a packed schedule on Court 1, led by the country’s biggest badminton stars. PV Sindhu begins her quest for a record sixth medal, while rising talent Ayush Shetty faces a massive test against the defending champion. Here is a look at today’s key matches.
BWF World Championship 2026: Day 1 India Schedule
All five Indian matches scheduled for the opening day will take place on Court 1 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
- 12:20 PM IST: Hariharan Amsakarunan & M.R. Arjun vs. Scott Guildea & Paul Reynolds (Ireland) – Men’s Doubles
- 4:30 PM IST: Treesa Jolly & Gayatri Gopichand vs. Paula Lopez & Lucia Rodriguez (Spain) – Women’s Doubles
- 5:20 PM IST: PV Sindhu vs. Sophia Noble (Ireland) – Women’s Singles
- 6:10 PM IST: Ayush Shetty vs. Shi Yu Qi (China) – Men’s Singles
- 7:00 PM IST: Kavipriya Selvam & Simran Singhi vs. Nikol Carulla & Carmen Maria Jimenez (Spain) – Women’s Doubles
PV Sindhu, Ayush Shetty Kick Off Their Campaign Today
PV Sindhu: The former world champion currently shares the record of five World Championships medals with China’s Zhang Ning. Sindhu, ranked 9 in the world, will be aiming for a clean, dominant victory over Sophia Noble to set the tone for her historic medal pursuit.
Ayush Shetty: The young shuttler is ranked 22 and faces the toughest possible opening-round assignment against China’s defending champion and top seed, Shi Yu Qi. Shetty will look to feed off the home crowd’s energy and attempt to pull off a monumental upset.
Treesa Jolly & Gayatri Gopichand: The leading Indian women’s doubles pair are world-ranked 39 and will aim to execute a challenging performance against their Spanish opponents Paula Lopez & Lucia Rodriguez.
Hariharan Amsakarunan & M.R. Arjun: Ranked 24th in the world, the Indian duo enter their match as heavy favourites against the 102nd-ranked Irish combination.
Where to watch the BWF World Championships 2026?
India: The tournament is being broadcast live on television via Star Sports 1, Star Sports Select 1 HD, and Star Sports Select 1 SD. Live streaming is available on the JioHotstar app.
Global / Rest of the World: Worldwide fans can follow the matches live on BWF TV (the official YouTube channel of the Badminton World Federation). This is subject to geographical rights.
