Indian badminton players made a positive start at the BWF World Championships 2026, with several players moving into the next round.
In women’s doubles, Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly produced an impressive performance against Allison Lee and Lauren Lam. The Indian pair, ranked 39th in the world, won the match comfortably 21-15, 21-12 in just 39 minutes.
Gayatri played strongly near the net and put pressure on the American pair with quick shots. Treesa also played an important role by using soft drops along with powerful smashes. Their combination helped India control the match from the early stages.
The Indian pair remained calm during important points and did not allow their opponents to build momentum. Their strong performance gives them confidence as they move deeper into the tournament.
In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen also advanced to the second round after a difficult opening match against Austria’s Collins Filimon. Sen lost the first game 16-21 but made a strong comeback.
The Indian star completely changed his approach in the next two games. He won the second game 21-8 before finishing the match with a dominant 21-4 win in the deciding game.
Debutant Unnati Hooda also made an impressive start. She faced Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar and had to work hard in the opening game. Hooda eventually won 22-20 and then took the second game 21-16 to secure her place in the second round.
The tournament also produced several interesting results from international players. France’s Christo Popov was beaten by Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto. Former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan also made a comeback to defeat Turkey’s Ozge Bayrak.
China’s Chen Yufei recorded a win over Hong Kong’s Lo Sin Yan Happy in the women’s singles event.
However, not every Indian player had a successful opening day. The mixed doubles pair of Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh suffered a defeat in their first World Championships appearance. They lost to Turkey’s Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas in a closely fought three-game match.
Overall, India had a promising start to the championships. Gayatri and Treesa’s strong doubles win and the progress of Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda have given Indian fans plenty to look forward to.
With several more rounds still to come, the Indian players will now look to maintain their form and continue their journey towards the later stages of the tournament.