New Delhi: The BWF World Championships will return to India after 17 years, with New Delhi confirmed as the host city for the 30th edition of badminton’s most prestigious tournament in August 2026.
The announcement was made at the closing ceremony of the 2025 World Championships in Paris, where the official handover took place between BWF president Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, French Federation chief Frank Laurent, and Sanjay Mishra, general secretary of the Badminton Association of India (BAI).
India’s selection as host reflects its transformation into a global badminton powerhouse, with 15 medals at the World Championships since Prakash Padukone’s historic bronze in 1983. The country has maintained an unbroken medal streak since 2011, capped most recently by Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s bronze in Paris 2025.
At the heart of India’s success is PV Sindhu, the only Indian to win a gold medal at the Championships (Basel 2019), and one of the tournament’s all-time greats with five medals in total. Fellow women’s singles star Saina Nehwal added two medals to India’s tally, including silver in 2015.
Indian men have also made their mark in recent editions, with podium finishes by Kidambi Srikanth (silver 2021), B. Sai Praneeth (bronze 2019), Lakshya Sen (bronze 2021), and HS Prannoy (bronze 2023). Rankireddy and Shetty made history by becoming the first Indian men’s doubles medallists, with back-to-back bronzes in 2022 and 2025.
Welcoming the announcement, BAI’s Sanjay Mishra said:
“On behalf of the Badminton Association of India, I extend heartfelt gratitude to the BWF for entrusting us with the honour of hosting the World Championships in Delhi in 2026. We promise to uphold the same standards of excellence and grandeur showcased by Paris, and look forward to welcoming the badminton family to India.”
First staged in 1977 in Malmö, Sweden, the World Championships has grown into badminton’s most prestigious event, rotating across Europe, Asia, and North America. The Delhi edition will mark its return to Asia after four years, underlining the continent’s central role in the sport’s growth.
For India, which last hosted the tournament in Hyderabad in 2009, the 2026 Championships will not only highlight its credentials as a consistent medal contender, but also reinforce its position as a key destination on the international badminton map.
