India hosts BWF World Championships 17 years after Hyderabad debut

The BWF World Championships begin Monday at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, marking the tournament's return to India for the first time since Hyderabad 2009. Hindustan Times reports the venue, once known as Indraprastha Indoor Stadium, holds deep history for Indian badminton. It was India's only air-conditioned badminton venue and hosted Syed Modi's historic bronze at the 1982 Asian Games, India's first individual Asiad medal in the sport, as well as the 1988 Thomas Cup qualification where India beat Japan to become Asian Zone winners.

Times of India notes that Indian badminton has transformed since 2009. Forty-three per cent of Indians now follow the sport and 32% play it, making it the country's second-most played sport. India hosts four BWF World Tour tournaments annually. The nation has won a medal at every World Championships since 2011, led by PV Sindhu's five medals including gold in 2019. Indian para-badminton athletes have won nine Paralympic medals and more than 1,200 international medals in the past decade. Three Olympic medals, Saina Nehwal's London 2012 bronze and Sindhu's Rio 2016 silver and Tokyo 2020 bronze, underline the rise. Hyderabad 2009 was dominated by China, New Delhi 2026 arrives with India established as a multi-discipline contender.