India to host 2026 badminton world championship

  • The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has allotted the BWF World Championship to India for 2026. This will be the second time that India will host the premium tournament, after the 2009 edition in Hyderabad.
  • India were scheduled to organise the Sudirman Cup in 2023 but the Badminton World Federation decided to award the hosting rights of the world mixed team championships to China.
  • The BWF was forced to shift this year’s Sudirman Cup from Suzhou, China to Vantaa, Finland due to the COVID-19 situation in the Asian countries.
  • So, Suzhou will now stage the 2023 edition of the BWF World Mixed Team Championships, with original 2023 hosts India accepting the opportunity to host the BWF World Championships in 2026.
  • India has so far won 10 World Championship medals with reigning champion P.V. Sindhu leading the chart with a gold, two silver, and two bronze. Prakash Padukone claimed India’s first medal at the Worlds in 1983. The other winners have been Saina Nehwal (silver, 2015 & bronze, 2017), B. Sai Praneeth (bronze, 2019), and Ashwini Ponnappa & Jwala Gutta (doubles bronze, 2011).