Global elite badminton stars light up the courts on Day 3 of the World Championships in New Delhi
A massive contingent of Indian stars take center stage today in front of roaring home crowds
High-voltage battles and marquee clashes feature top-seeded contenders fighting for crucial advancement
As the Badminton World Championships 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi enters its crucial third day, the intensity on court continues to scale new heights with a blockbuster lineup featuring global elite stars and heavy home-court favorites.
Day 3 of the tournament kicks off with an exciting mixed doubles clash as Japan's seasoned star Yuta Watanabe pairs up with Maya Taguchi to face Hong Kong's Chan Yin Chak and Ng Tsz Yau.
Moving to the men's singles category, Chinese Taipei stalwart Chou Tien Chen takes on Italy's Giovanni Toti. Chou brings a wealth of experience, relentless stamina, and a vast repertoire of strokes to the court, making him heavily favored.
Opening day fixtures also witness a high-voltage men's singles showdown between Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu and Singapore's former world champion Loh Kean Yew.
In another major men's singles fixture, Singapore's Jia Heng Teh squares off against Indonesia's premier contender Jonatan Christie.
In another intriguing mixed doubles encounter, Macau's Leong Iok Chong and Ng Weng Chi lock horns with India's Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto. Playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, Kapila and Crasto will lean heavily on their aggressive front-court interceptions and powerful smashes.
As the afternoon session unfolds, China's elite men's singles talent Li Shifeng squares off against Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao. Li, known for his explosive speed, incredible court coverage, and mental tenacity, enters this match as the clear blueprint of modern singles play.
The women's singles action heats up when China's Wang Zhiyi meets Malaysia's Karupathevan Letshanaa. Wang is renowned for her exceptional defensive resilience and clinical counter-attacking ability, rarely handing out unforced errors.
Later in the afternoon, South Korea's dominant women's singles world-beater An Seyoung takes to the court against Indonesia's Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan. An's peerless court defense, unmatched retrieval speed, and tactical intelligence make her virtually impenetrable.
Over in the women's doubles bracket, China's Luo Yi and Wang Tingge face off against the Japanese combination of Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara. This promises to be a high-octane tactical battle characterized by fierce multi-shot flat exchanges and rapid transitions.
As the afternoon session picks up momentum, India's men's doubles combination of Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun face a stern test against South Korea's formidable pair of Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju. Having advanced past their opening hurdle via a retirement, the home duo will need to bring their absolute best fast-paced attacking game to counter the disciplined rotations, explosive power, and tactical depth of the Korean pairing.
Indian men's singles star Lakshya Sen takes center stage later in the afternoon to face the USA's Garret Tan. Playing on home turf, Sen will lean on his exceptional retrieving skills, sharp net play, and roaring home support. While Tan is capable of explosive bursts of brilliance, breaking through Sen's defensive wall will require extraordinary patience and precision.
Continuing the home campaign in the men's singles, Ayush Shetty of India prepares to battle Sri Lanka's Dumindu Abeywickrama. Shetty enters the contest with strong tactical discipline and an aggressive baseline game. Abeywickrama, known for his fighting spirit and ability to lengthen rallies, will look to test the Indian youngster's patience in what promises to be an engaging regional showdown.
In the women's singles draw, 18-year-old Indian prodigy Unnati Hooda steps onto the court for a high-stakes Round of 32 clash against Canada's 13th-seeded veteran Michelle Li. Hooda secured her spot here following a hard-fought straight-games victory over Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar, but she will need to display exceptional court composure and defensive resilience to outmaneuver Li's rich experience and crafty shot-making.
In another marquee women's singles battle, India's premier shuttler PV Sindhu matches up against Canada's Wen Yu Zhang. Sindhu's sheer big-match temperament, steep smashes, and wealth of championship experience make her a towering figure in this clash. Zhang will need to deploy clever variation and keep Sindhu moving horizontally to avoid getting overrun by the Indian icon's heavy-duty attack.
As the evening session builds, Denmark's tactical maestro Anders Antonsen locks horns with Ireland's dynamic contender Nhat Nguyen. Antonsen's fierce power game and relentless court presence makes him a heavy favorite.
Rounding out the marquee singles fixtures, Malaysia's Wong Ling Ching takes on Japan's formidable maestro Yamaguchi Akane.
Wrapping up a packed day of fixtures, the Indian men's doubles powerhouse pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty face Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle. World-class speed, ferocious jump smashes, and overwhelming power make the Indian duo clear favorites. However, Dunn and Pringle will look to play freely, relying on quick rotation and clever flat drives to try and disrupt the rhythm of the home favourites.
Badminton World Championships 2026 Day 3: Schedule
Court 1
Watanabe Yuta/Taguchi Maya (JPN) vs Chan Yin Chak/Ng Tsz Yau (HKG) - mixed doubles – 9:00 AM
Chou Tien Chen (TPE) vs Giovanni Toti – men's singles – 9:50 AM
Li Shifeng (CHN) vs Leong Jun Hao (MAS) - men’s singles – 2:00 PM
Wang Zhiyi (CHN) vs Karupathevan Letshanaa (MAS) - women’s singles – 2:50 PM
Garret Tan (USA) vs Lakshya Sen (IND) - men’s singles – 4:30 PM
Ayush Shetty (IND) vs Dumindu Abeywickrama (SRI) - men’s singles – 5:20 PM
PV Sindhu (IND) vs Wen Yu Zhang (CAN) - women’s singles – 6:10 PM
Ishika Jaiswal (USA) vs Ratchanok Intanon (THA) - women’s singles – 8:40 PM
Court 2
Lee Cheuk Yiu (HKG) vs Loh Kean Yew (SGP) - men’s singles – 9:00 AM
Jia Heng Teh (SGP) vs Jonatan Christie (INA) - men’s singles – 9:50 AM
An Seyoung (KOR) vs Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan (INA) - women’s singles – 1:10 PM
Anders Antonsen (DEN) vs Nhat Nguyen (IRL) - men’s singles – 5:20 PM
Wong Ling Ching (MAS) vs Yamaguchi Akane (JPN) - women’s singles – 7:50 PM
Court 3
Hariharan Amsakarunan/M.R. Arjun (IND) vs Kang Minhyuk/Ki Dongju (KOR) - men’s doubles – 2:10 PM
Unnati Hooda (IND) vs Michelle Li (CAN) - women’s singles – Not Before 2:10 PM
Toma Junior Popov (FRA) vs Hein Htut (MYA) - men’s singles – 7:10 PM
Badminton World Championships 2026 Day 3: Live Streaming Details
The BWF World Championships 2026 will be broadcast live in India on Star Sports, with live streaming available on JioHotstar. In Malaysia, Astro will provide live coverage.
Only court 2 matches will be available for live telecast and streaming on Star Sports Network channels and JioHotstar.
Fans around the world can also watch the action on BWF TV, the official YouTube channel of the Badminton World Federation.
