India’s 15-year medal streak at the BWF World Championships faces a stern test this year, with top shuttlers handed challenging draws at the prestigious tournament scheduled from August 25 to 31 at the Adidas Arena in Paris.
Former world champion PV Sindhu, seeded 15th, may clash with second seed Wang Zhi Yi of China as early as the third round. Sindhu, who has five World Championship medals to her name, will need to summon her tournament-best form to overcome Wang, who recently clinched the China Open Super 1000.
In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen faces a daunting first-round match against world No. 1 Shi Yuqi. The Indian ace trails 1–3 in their head-to-head record and will need a breakthrough performance to progress. HS Prannoy, another medal hopeful, begins his campaign against Finland’s Joakim Oldorff but enters the tournament unseeded after a tough season.
India’s strongest hopes lie in men’s doubles, where Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty—seeded ninth—have a first-round bye but could face China’s Liang Wei Kang and Wang Chang in the third round. A potential quarter-final against Malaysian nemeses Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik looms, recalling last year’s Olympic heartbreak in Paris.
Women’s doubles prospects dimmed with the withdrawal of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly. Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, along with Rutaparna and Swetaparna Panda, will represent India in their absence.
Mixed doubles entries include Dhruv Kapila–Tanisha Crasto and Rohan Kapoor–Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, with the former seeded 16th and likely to face Hong Kong’s sixth seeds Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet in the third round.
As India braces for a tough campaign, the resilience and experience of its top players will be crucial in keeping the medal streak alive.
