The top-16 in the world by April-end will make the cut for the Olympics.
Newly-crowned Canada Open champion Lakshya Sen will hope to continue his winning momentum while beginning his campaign at the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament.
Indian shuttlers Devika Sihag and HS Prannoy faced early exits on the opening day of the USD 2,000,000 China Masters. Devika fought hard in a three-game match, while Prannoy suffered a straight-game defeat. PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and Ayush Shetty are set to play on Wednesday.
Sindhu, Lakshya win openers; Sai Praneeth loses in US Open
PV Sindhu's campaign at the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to world No. 1 An Se Young. Despite showing glimpses of her attacking prowess, Sindhu couldn't maintain consistency against An's superior control and movement.
Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarterfinals of the men's singles competition at the Kumamoto Masters Japan with a straight game win over Singapore's Jia Heng Jason Teh in Kumamoto, Japan, on Thursday.
This was Lakshya Sen's first title since the Canada Open in 2024.
Sindhu, Lakshya lose in quarterfinals; Indian challenge ends in Indonesia Masters
Top Indian shuttlers have received a mixed draw for the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, with PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen getting relatively favourable starts, while Asian Championships silver medallist Ayush Shetty faces a formidable opening round against defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty withdraw from the Badminton Asia Championships due to injury, leaving Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu to lead India's challenge.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has been seeded ninth in women's singles, while the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received the fifth seeding for the upcoming BWF World Championships. India has seeded entries in four out of five categories, including Lakshya Sen and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto. The draw for the championships, set to be held in New Delhi from August 17-23, will take place on Wednesday.
Top Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen registered an upset win over former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore to storm into the semifinals of the USD 475,000 Kumamoto Masters Japan in Kumamoto, Japan, on Friday.
Lakshya bows out of French Open after first-round loss to Ireland's Nhat Nguyen
India's top badminton players, including the men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, singles stars Lakshya Sen, P V Sindhu, and rising talent Ayush Shetty, are set to compete at the USD 950,000 Japan Open Super 750 tournament. The event marks a crucial stage for many Indian shuttlers to make significant runs on the BWF World Tour.
Lakshya Sen continued his rich vein of form as he sent the world No. 1 and top-seed Axelsen packing
India's PV Sindhu advanced to the Indonesia Open pre-quarterfinals with a 25-23, 21-16 win over Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan on Tuesday.
But it was end of the road for Sen's compatriot Kiran George, who lost 20-22, 10-21 to Malaysia's Jing Hong Kok.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and BAI President Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled 'Peacko', the official mascot, and the championship anthem for the upcoming BWF World Championships in New Delhi. India aims to solidify its position as a global sporting destination, with the event featuring top Indian shuttlers like PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen.
Indian badminton star PV Sindhu was defeated by local favourite Chen Yufei in the second round of the China Open. Sindhu, who recently won the Japan Open, lost a close three-game match. Following her exit, she publicly criticised the tournament's scheduling, highlighting the inadequate recovery time she received compared to her opponent. Other Indian shuttlers Ayush Shetty and Lakshya Sen also exited the men's singles.
Indian shuttlers are set to compete at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament, seeking to avenge their recent Thomas Cup semifinal defeat against France. Several Indian players will face French opponents in the singles and doubles categories.
India ace Lakshya Sen made a fine start to the new season, advancing to the men's singles second round with a hard-fought win over Jia Heng Jason Teh of Singapore at the Malaysia Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Lakshya Sen fought through a bruising three-game contest but fell short in the decisive moments to go down in three games against Chinese Taipei's World No. 12 Lin Chun-Yi in men's singles quarterfinals as the home challenge ended at the India Open Super 750, in New Delhi, on Friday.
Lakshya Sen is aware that his Olympic qualification is still in choppy waters but said he has been working on his "variations" and "deceptions" during the off-season to regain his world's top-10 position and seal his Paris Games berth.
One particular shot which left everyone, including Lakshya Sen's opponent Jonatan Christie stunned, was a jaw-dropping behind-the-back return.
Ace Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen stunned World No. 2 and local favourite Anders Antonsen in straight games to enter the quarterfinals of the Denmark Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Odense on Thursday.
Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and Lakshya Sen entered the quarterfinals of Indonesia Masters badminton tournament after securing straight-game wins in their respective round-of-16 matches in Jakarta on Thursday.
Malvika Bansod and Ashmita Chaliha progressed to the second round of the Malaysia Masters Super 500, while Lakshya Sen and H.S. Prannoy suffered early exits.
India secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Australia in their Group A tie at the Thomas Cup Finals, earning them a place in the quarterfinals.
Lakshya Sen's fine run was snapped after a draining three-game semi-final defeat to Japan's world No. 13 Kenta Nishimoto at the US $475,000 Kumamoto Masters Japan on Saturday.
Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and reigning men's doubles champion Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will headline the Indian badminton squad at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Two-time Olympics medallist P V Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and the star pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty form the core of India's squad for the Badminton Asia Team Championships, in Qingdao, China, from February 3-8.
Lakshya Sen exits, Mannepalli keeps Indian hopes alive at Arctic Open
The BWF World Championships are returning to India after 17 years, to be held in New Delhi from August 17-23. Tickets, priced from Rs 499 to Rs 5,500, are now on sale through BookMyShow, with various categories and early bird discounts available. Indian stars like Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu, alongside international badminton greats, are set to compete.
Ayush Shetty's impressive run at the World Championships ended in the pre-quarterfinals against Alwi Farhan, concluding India's men's singles challenge. Meanwhile, the women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced to the quarterfinals with a dominant win, continuing their strong comeback after Treesa's injury.
India's mixed doubles pairs faced early exits at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026, with both teams losing in the opening round.
Unified high-performance training camps in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Guwahati played a crucial role in India's bronze medal win at the Thomas Cup, with top shuttlers benefiting from the focused preparation.
India's top men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, seeded third, also progressed without taking the court after receiving a walkover from USA's Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith.
Lakshya Sen has been in incredible form in the last six months.
Star Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen stunned fifth seed Christo Popov of France in straight games to enter the men's singles pre-quarterfinals at the $475,000 Hylo Open Super 500 tournament in Saarbrucken, Germany, on Wednesday.
Sen, 26, who had made it to the Hong Kong Open final but has gone without a title this year, had a tough time beating Shetty in the opening game.
