BWF World Championships 2026: What Happened When India Last Hosted The Worlds In 2009?

The BWF World Championships are returning to India after a 17-year gap, with the 2026 edition beginning at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Monday, August 17.

It is only the second time India is hosting badminton's premier individual tournament. The previous occasion came in 2009, when Hyderabad staged the championships at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium.

The 2009 tournament was largely defined by China's dominance. Chinese shuttlers won four of the five available titles, while Denmark's Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl broke their stranglehold by winning the mixed doubles crown.

The edition also produced a historic milestone for Lin Dan and an unforgettable men's doubles final.

Where Was PV Sindhu When India Last Hosted The Worlds?

PV Sindhu was just 14 when the World Championships came to Hyderabad in 2009.

Long before she became a two-time Olympic medallist and a world champion, Sindhu was among the spectators following the action at the venue. She has recalled spending entire days watching matches, although she did not fully appreciate the magnitude of the tournament at the time.

“I was a very small girl. I used to come and watch matches from morning until evening. At that time, I did not understand how serious it was, but now I realise that I got to experience the best back then,” Sindhu said ahead of the 2026 World Championships.

The teenager who watched the world's leading shuttlers in Hyderabad is now preparing to compete at a World Championships on home soil herself.

“Now I am here playing the World Championships in India after 17 years. The journey from then until now has been very memorable, and I am hoping to win a medal on the home ground,” she added.

Lin Dan Completes A Historic Hat-Trick

Lin Dan was the biggest individual star of the Hyderabad championships.

The Chinese great had already won the World Championships in 2006 and 2007 when he arrived in India. He left with a third title after an impressive run that saw him lose just one game during the tournament.

His campaign included a surprise quarterfinal defeat for Lee Chong Wei, who was knocked out by Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro.

Taufik Hidayat, a two-time world champion, also made it to the last four. However, Chen Jin defeated the Indonesian in the semifinals before Lin Dan overcame Chen in the final.

With the victory, Lin became the first men's singles player to win three World Championships titles.

The achievement came just a year after he had won Olympic gold at the Beijing Games, adding another major milestone to an already remarkable career.

China Take Four Of Five Titles

China's dominance extended well beyond the men's singles competition.

Lu Lan defeated compatriot Xie Xingfang in the women's singles final, while Zhang Yawen and Zhao Tingting secured the women's doubles title.

The men's doubles final was arguably the most dramatic match of the tournament.

Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng were pushed all the way by South Korea's Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae. After 75 minutes of action, the Chinese pair finally prevailed 28-26 in the deciding game.

That victory gave China its fourth gold medal.

The mixed doubles title was the only one that went elsewhere. Denmark's Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl emerged victorious, denying China a clean sweep of all five events.

2009 World Championships Winners

• Men's Singles: Lin Dan (China)

• Women's Singles: Lu Lan (China)

• Men's Doubles: Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng (China)

• Women's Doubles: Zhang Yawen and Zhao Tingting (China)

• Mixed Doubles: Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Denmark)

India's Campaign In Hyderabad

India's home advantage did not translate into a medal at the 2009 championships.

Saina Nehwal was the country's strongest performer in women's singles. The Olympic bronze medallist reached the quarterfinals but was beaten by China's Wang Lin 16-21, 19-21.

Chetan Anand's men's singles campaign ended one round earlier. He lost to Sony Dwi Kuncoro 16-21, 16-21 in the round of 16.

In mixed doubles, V. Diju and Jwala Gutta also made the quarterfinals before going down to Indonesia's Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir 16-21, 14-21.

The tournament ultimately ended without an Indian medal, but it came at an important point in the country's emergence as a stronger force in international badminton.

The sport has undergone a significant transformation since Hyderabad.

China's dominance remained a defining feature of the World Championships for several years, but no country has been able to establish a similar level of control since 2012.

The difference can also be seen in the finals. In 2009, three of the five title matches featured players or pairs from the same country. Across the last five editions, only one of 25 finals has been contested entirely between representatives of the same nation.

That makes the 2026 tournament a very different proposition. The field in New Delhi includes contenders from several badminton-playing nations, with the titles far less predictable than they were during China's strongest period.

The India Open served as a test event before the World Championships, giving organisers an opportunity to address issues and prepare the venue for the arrival of the world's best players.

Now, 17 years after Hyderabad hosted the tournament, the World Championships are back in India.

And the contrast could hardly be more striking. In 2009, a 14-year-old PV Sindhu watched the world's best players from the stands. In 2026, she will walk onto the court herself, carrying India's hopes of a medal on home soil.