The India Open 2026 badminton tournament began today at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The BWF Super 750 event runs until January 18 and features 206 players from 20 countries competing for USD 950,000 in prize money.
Seventeen Indian shuttlers will compete across five categories. The tournament serves as preparation for the World Championships scheduled at the same venue in August 2026. Matches will be broadcast on Eurosport with live streaming available on the BWF YouTube channel.
Lakshya Sen will take on Ayush Shetty in an opening round match on Court 2 at 3:00 PM today. Both players train together at the Centre for Excellence in Bengaluru. Lakshya has won both their previous meetings, including a three-game win at the Hong Kong Open in September.
Ayush Shetty is making his India Open debut at age 20. The 6-foot-5-inch player recently defeated former World No. 2 Lee Zii Jia and took World No. 1 Shi Yuqi to three games. Lakshya, the 2022 India Open champion, is looking to bounce back after an early exit at the Malaysia Open.
PV Sindhu Returns After Injury
PV Sindhu starts her campaign against Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam. The two-time Olympic medallist lost to the Vietnamese player twice in 2025. Sindhu is returning after an injury layoff and reached the semi-finals at the Malaysia Open in her last tournament.
Sindhu is currently ranked 18th in the world. She needs strong results to improve her ranking ahead of the World Championships. The 29-year-old will be one of the senior players leading the Indian challenge at the tournament.
16-Year-Old Tanvi Sharma Gets Tough Draw
Tanvi Sharma received a late entry into the tournament after withdrawals by Chen Yufei and Akane Yamaguchi. The 16-year-old will face Wang Zhiyi, the World No. 2 from China, in her Super 750 debut. Tanvi won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships in 2025, becoming the first Indian since Saina Nehwal to medal at that level.
Coach Park Tae Sang has been working with Tanvi at the national camp. The match against Wang will be a big test for the teenager. Even though a win looks difficult, her performance will show if she is ready for bigger tournaments.
Satwik-Chirag Lead Doubles Challenge
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are the top Indian pair in men’s doubles. Ranked World No. 3, they won the India Open title in 2022. The duo will look to defend home advantage against strong pairs from Malaysia, China, and South Korea.
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Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will represent India in women’s doubles. They face a Thai pair in the opening round. India has six women’s doubles teams and four mixed doubles pairs competing at the tournament.
World Championships Preparation
The same venue will host the BWF World Championships in August. BWF officials are using this tournament to test facilities, lighting, and court conditions. Players treat this event as preparation for the bigger tournament later in the year.
Defending women’s singles champion An Se-young from South Korea will start her campaign on Wednesday. The World No. 1 recently won her fifth straight Malaysia Open title. Shi Yuqi withdrew from the men’s singles due to injury, opening up the draw for other players.
The tournament marks the second BWF World Tour event of 2026. Fans can watch games on four courts on opening day, with tickets starting at INR 400. Indian supporters will be looking to their shuttlers to perform well at home.
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