Badminton World Championships 2026 Day 1 Guide: Preview, Indians In Action, Schedule And Live Streaming

The BWF World Championships 2026 will get underway in New Delhi on Monday, August 17, with the opening day bringing a packed schedule of first-round action and a strong Indian contingent eager to make its mark on home soil.

The 30th edition of badminton's biggest individual tournament is being held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from August 17 to 23, marking the World Championships' return to India after 17 years.

The tournament features the world's best players across men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.

Monday's programme includes Round of 64 action in the singles draws, along with Round of 48 matches in the doubles events, setting the stage for seven days of competition that culminates with the finals on August 23.

For the home crowd, however, the biggest attraction will be the Indian contingent. Two-time Olympic medallist and 2019 world champion PV Sindhu begins her campaign in the evening, while rising men's singles star Ayush Shetty has been handed one of the toughest possible opening-round assignments against defending champion and top seed Shi Yu Qi.

Ayush Shetty Vs Shi Yu Qi Headlines Day 1

The marquee fixture of the opening day arrives late in the evening when Ayush Shetty takes on top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China, with the match scheduled for an estimated 6:10pm IST on Court 1.

On paper, it is an imposing first-round assignment for the Indian youngster. Shetty has lost all three of his previous meetings against Shi, but the contests have shown that the Chinese star is not beyond his reach.

Shetty will now get the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd as he looks to produce one of the biggest wins of his career.

The Indian enters the tournament with genuine momentum. He reached the final of the Badminton Asia Championships earlier this year and has emerged as one of the country's most promising men's singles players.

Injury concerns had interrupted his preparations, but Shetty has said he is feeling physically stronger and is approaching the contest with greater confidence.

Ahead of the tournament, Shetty said, “I think I feel prepared, and I’m at my best. It’s the biggest tournament of my life. It’s a big tournament for everyone, and it’s a huge stage. It is more special for me because it’s in India.

“It’s the first round for both of us, so it will be a tough one. I had some injury issues, but I’ve been getting better. I’m more confident and prepared. I’m not thinking too much about the past matches. We’ll analyse and see what needs to be done,” he added.

Shi, meanwhile, begins the defence of his world title as the tournament's No. 1 seed. His experience on the biggest stage makes him the clear favourite, but Shetty's attacking game, home advantage and familiarity with the conditions could make this one of the most compelling matches of the entire opening round.

PV Sindhu Begins Another World Championships Campaign

Before Shetty takes centre stage, PV Sindhu will begin her latest World Championships campaign against Ireland's Sophia Noble, with their women's singles first-round match scheduled for an estimated 5:20pm IST.

The ninth-seeded Sindhu is one of the most decorated players in World Championships history. She won the title in 2019 and has previously collected silver medals in 2017 and 2018 and bronze medals in 2013 and 2014. She will now be aiming to add a sixth World Championships medal to her collection on home soil.

Noble, ranked No. 141 in the world, represents a favourable opening-round assignment for Sindhu, who will be expected to progress. But the Indian's draw could become considerably more difficult as the tournament progresses, with China's third seed Wang Zhi Yi a potential Round of 16 opponent.

For Sindhu, Monday is therefore about more than simply getting through the first round. A strong opening performance would give the former champion the ideal start in a tournament where the home crowd will be expecting another deep run from one of India's biggest badminton stars.

Indian Doubles Pairs Also Take The Court

India's action on Day 1 begins around midday with Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun taking on Ireland's Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds in men's doubles.

The Indian pair, ranked No. 24 in the world, will start as favourites against the Irish combination, ranked 102nd. They will be looking to make a confident start and avoid an early scare in what is India's first doubles match of the tournament.

Later, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will begin their women's doubles campaign against Spain's Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez. The Indian pair has been searching for the consistency that made them one of the more exciting combinations on the circuit and will be keen to use the home conditions to their advantage.

The final Indian match of the day sees Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi take on Spain's Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez. It is a particularly significant occasion for the Indian duo, with Selvam and Singhi among India's World Championships debutants.

All five Indian matches on Monday are scheduled on Court 1, meaning supporters inside the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium will have a continuous run of home interest from the afternoon into the evening.

An Se Young, Antonsen And Other Big Names In Action

India's stars are not the only players to watch on Day 1. Several leading names in world badminton will begin their campaigns on Monday.

Women's singles top seed An Se Young faces Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova on Court 2. The Olympic champion will be among the leading contenders for the title and will look to make a smooth start to her campaign.

Fifth seed Han Yue has a considerably more experienced opponent in Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour. The Scot has already won two World Championships medals, taking silver in 2014 and bronze in 2018, and will provide Han with an early test.

In men's singles, Denmark's Anders Antonsen takes on Azerbaijan's Dicky Dwi Pangetsu, while Japan's Kodai Naraoka faces Chinese Taipei's Yu Jen Chi. China's Li Shi Feng will also be in action against Kazakhstan's Dmitriy Panarin.

The men's doubles draw will feature France's Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov, who will face Japan's Nomura Takumi and Shimogami Yuichi. Toma Junior Popov will also be in men's singles action earlier in the day against Poland's Dominik Kwinta.

With multiple seeds and established names beginning their campaigns, Day 1 offers plenty to watch before the tournament moves into the deeper knockout stages.

Badminton World Championships 2026: Indians In Action Today

All Indian matches on Monday will be played on Court 1.

• Hariharan Amsakarunan/MR Arjun vs Scott Guildea/Paul Reynolds (Ireland), Men's doubles - Estimated 12:20pm

• Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand vs Paula Lopez/Lucia Rodriguez (Spain), Women's doubles - Estimated 4:30pm

• PV Sindhu vs Sophia Noble (Ireland), Women's singles - Estimated 5:20pm

• Shi Yu Qi (China) vs Ayush Shetty, Men's singles - Estimated 6:10pm

• Nikol Carulla/Carmen Maria Jimenez (Spain) vs Kavipriya Selvam/Simran Singhi, Women's doubles - Estimated 7:00pm

All timings are in IST and are subject to change depending on the duration of preceding matches

BWF World Championships 2026 Day 1: Full Schedule

BWF World Championships 2026: Live Streaming

The BWF World Championships 2026 will be broadcast live in India on Star Sports, with live streaming available on JioCinema. In Malaysia, Astro will provide live coverage.

Fans around the world can also watch the action on BWF TV, the official YouTube channel of the Badminton World Federation.