India is set to host the BWF World Championships at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium in New Delhi from August 17-23, 2026 and the organizers have deployed unique solutions to keep the monkeys away. Specialist artists have been hired to mimic langurs to keep the monkeys and other animals away from the fans in the stand. This comes after monkeys disrupted the Indian Open in January earlier this year. Star Indian shutter PV Sindhu, meanwhile, has appreciated the unique solution to ensure safe games.<h2>PV Sindhu lauds unqiue efforts to keep monkeys away at BWF World Championships</h2>“You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort. So many people are working behind the scenes to make sure India is ready to welcome the world. Our solutions may be uniquely Indian, but so are our warmth, our spirit and our hospitality. Can’t wait for the badminton world to experience it all in Delhi. See you soon!,” She posted on X with a video of an artist mimicking the voice of langurs to keep the rhesus macaques away.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort 😂❤️🇮🇳 So many people are working behind the scenes to make sure India is ready to welcome the world. Our solutions may be uniquely Indian, but so are our warmth, our spirit and our hospitality. Can’t wait for the… <a href="https://t.co/ORDFuAkITL">https://t.co/ORDFuAkITL</a>&mdash; PV Sindhu (@Pvsindhu1) <a href="https://x.com/Pvsindhu1/status/2086821204145668537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

India had done the same during 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi when red langurs where deployed to keep the monkeys away. The use of acutal animals, however, was banned in 2012 under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hardik-pandya-ipl-trade-talks-mumbai-indians-kkr-csk-1786364042741">Hardik Pandya IPL Trade Deal: KKR keen, CSK await new coach as MI hold firm</a><h2>India hopes big at BWF World Championships</h2>Hosting the tournament after 17 years, India would be hoping to win big and take full advantage of home court at the upcoming BWF World Championships. PV Sindhu, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty and Lakshya Sen lead the Indian contingent with Ayush Shetty set to face top seed Shi Yu Qi from China in the men's singles first round.Unnati Hooda is the other player in the women's singles along with PV Sindhu, who is seeded ninth and faces Sophia Noble in the first round.Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand and Kavipriya Selvam/Simran Singhi play in women's doubles, Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto (bye in first round) and Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde in mixed doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan/MR Arjun in men's doubles apart from Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty who also got a bye in the first round.

India had done the same during 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi when red langurs where deployed to keep the monkeys away. The use of acutal animals, however, was banned in 2012 under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

India is set to host the BWF World Championships at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium in New Delhi from August 17-23, 2026 and the organizers have deployed unique solutions to keep the monkeys away. Specialist artists have been hired to mimic langurs to keep the monkeys and other animals away from the fans in the stand. This comes after monkeys disrupted the Indian Open in January earlier this year. Star Indian shutter PV Sindhu, meanwhile, has appreciated the unique solution to ensure safe games. PV Sindhu lauds unqiue efforts to keep monkeys away at BWF World Championships “You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort. So many people are working behind the scenes to make sure India is ready to welcome the world. Our solutions may be uniquely Indian, but so are our warmth, our spirit and our hospitality. Can’t wait for the badminton world to experience it all in Delhi. See you soon!,” She posted on X with a video of an artist mimicking the voice of langurs to keep the rhesus macaques away.

India had done the same during 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi when red langurs where deployed to keep the monkeys away. The use of acutal animals, however, was banned in 2012 under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

'Uniquely Indian': PV Sindhu praises langur mimicry atrists depolyed to keep monkeys away at BWF World Championships

India's medal contenders got a mixed draw for the BWF World Championships 2026, set to be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi from August 17 to 23. The biggest opening-round contest features Asian Championships silver medallist Ayush Shetty, who faces defending champion and world no. 1 Shi Yuqi of China. Former world champion PV Sindhu starts her campaign against Ireland's Sophia Nobel, currently ranked world no. 141, while Lakshya Sen will take on Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon in the men's singles first round. If he advances, Lakshya could meet second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the pre-quarterfinals.&nbsp;India's top men's doubles pair, fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have received a first-round bye. They will open their campaign against either Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle or Thailand's Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn and Worrapol Thongsa-Nga. India is hosting the BWF World Championships for the first time in 17 years. The official draw ceremony was held in New Delhi on Wednesday. Badminton Association of India General Secretary Sanjay Mishra revealed that more than ₹20 crore has been invested in upgrading the Indira Gandhi Multipurpose Indoor Stadium, expressing confidence that the event would set new benchmarks for world badminton.&nbsp;All eyes will be on PV Sindhu, who heads into the tournament in strong form after winning the Japan Open last month. Sindhu has avoided world no. 1 An Se Young of South Korea and defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan until the later stages. However, she is projected to face third seed Wang Zhi Yi of China in the pre-quarterfinals, with a possible quarterfinal clash against Indonesia's Putri Wardani. For Satwik and Chirag, a potential round-of-16 meeting against Indonesia's Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, finalists at the Indonesia Open earlier this year, could be their first significant challenge.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/viv-richards-calls-for-truce-between-wi-coach-sammy-and-pacer-alzaari-joseph-1785999655674">Viv Richards calls for truce between WI coach Sammy and pacer Alzaari Joseph</a>&nbsp;Chief national coach Pullela Gopichand described the men's singles field as one of the most competitive in recent years. He believes Ayush Shetty's aggressive style could make his opening-round clash against Shi Yuqi more competitive than if the two met later in the tournament. Ayush has lost all three previous meetings against Shi but has pushed the Chinese star in their recent encounters, offering hope of a strong performance.&nbsp;In women's singles, Unnati Hooda will face Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar in the opening round and could meet 13th seed Michelle Li of Canada next. India's 15th-seeded mixed doubles pair, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, also received a first-round bye and are likely to meet China's sixth-seeded duo Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui in the round of 16. Another Indian mixed doubles pair, Rohan Kapoor and G Ruthvika Shivani, begin against Canada's Jonathan Lai and Crystal Lai, with top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping potentially awaiting them in the second round.&nbsp;In women's doubles, Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly will open against Spain's Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez. If successful, they are expected to face 16th seeds Lauren Lam and Allison Lee of the United States. Debutants Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam take on Spain's Nikol Carulla and Carmen Jimenez in the opening round. A win would set up a meeting with five-time European champions Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva. India's other men's doubles pair, MR Arjun and Hariharan, begin their campaign against Ireland's Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds.

 BWF World Championships 2026 draw sees Ayush Shetty face Shi Yuqi, while PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag and other Indian shuttlers begin their medal quest in New Delhi

India's medal contenders got a mixed draw for the BWF World Championships 2026, set to be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi from August 17 to 23. The biggest opening-round contest features Asian Championships silver medallist Ayush Shetty, who faces defending champion and world no. 1 Shi Yuqi of China. Former world champion PV Sindhu starts her campaign against Ireland's Sophia Nobel, currently ranked world no. 141, while Lakshya Sen will take on Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon in the men's singles first round. If he advances, Lakshya could meet second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the pre-quarterfinals. India's top men's doubles pair, fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have received a first-round bye. They will open their campaign against either Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle or Thailand's Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn and Worrapol Thongsa-Nga. India is hosting the BWF World Championships for the first time in 17 years. The official draw ceremony was held in New Delhi on Wednesday. Badminton Association of India General Secretary Sanjay Mishra revealed that more than ₹20 crore has been invested in upgrading the Indira Gandhi Multipurpose Indoor Stadium, expressing confidence that the event would set new benchmarks for world badminton. All eyes will be on PV Sindhu, who heads into the tournament in strong form after winning the Japan Open last month. Sindhu has avoided world no. 1 An Se Young of South Korea and defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan until the later stages. However, she is projected to face third seed Wang Zhi Yi of China in the pre-quarterfinals, with a possible quarterfinal clash against Indonesia's Putri Wardani. For Satwik and Chirag, a potential round-of-16 meeting against Indonesia's Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, finalists at the Indonesia Open earlier this year, could be their first significant challenge. Also Read: Viv Richards calls for truce between WI coach Sammy and pacer Alzaari Joseph Chief national coach Pullela Gopichand described the men's singles field as one of the most competitive in recent years. He believes Ayush Shetty's aggressive style could make his opening-round clash against Shi Yuqi more competitive than if the two met later in the tournament. Ayush has lost all three previous meetings against Shi but has pushed the Chinese star in their recent encounters, offering hope of a strong performance. In women's singles, Unnati Hooda will face Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar in the opening round and could meet 13th seed Michelle Li of Canada next. India's 15th-seeded mixed doubles pair, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, also received a first-round bye and are likely to meet China's sixth-seeded duo Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui in the round of 16. Another Indian mixed doubles pair, Rohan Kapoor and G Ruthvika Shivani, begin against Canada's Jonathan Lai and Crystal Lai, with top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping potentially awaiting them in the second round. In women's doubles, Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly will open against Spain's Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez. If successful, they are expected to face 16th seeds Lauren Lam and Allison Lee of the United States. Debutants Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam take on Spain's Nikol Carulla and Carmen Jimenez in the opening round. A win would set up a meeting with five-time European champions Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva. India's other men's doubles pair, MR Arjun and Hariharan, begin their campaign against Ireland's Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds.

Ayush Shetty faces world champion Shi Yuqi as PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and India's top doubles pairs got to know their BWF Worlds 2026 draws

BWF World Championships 2026 draw: Ayush Shetty to face Shi Yuqi in first round; PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen get easy opener

India suffered a disappointing day at the Japan Open 2026 as Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda and Lakshya Sen were all knocked out in the opening round in Tokyo on Wednesday (Jul 15). Ayush Shetty put up a strong fight against second seed and former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn but lost 19-21, 25-23, 15-21 in a hard-fought men’s singles match that lasted 82 minutes.&nbsp;World No. 24 Unnati Hooda also bowed out after suffering a 21-16, 16-21, 15-21 defeat to Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Hsun. It was her second straight loss against the same opponent.&nbsp;Lakshya Sen, the former All England Championships runner-up, was beaten 16-21, 14-21 by Japan’s Koki Watanabe in just 38 minutes. With the win, Watanabe improved his head-to-head record against the Indian to 4-3.&nbsp;The three first-round exits made it a disappointing day for India, especially with the country set to host the BWF World Championships in New Delhi next month for the first time in 17 years.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto are now India’s only players left in the USD 950,000 tournament.&nbsp;Sindhu will take on China’s fifth seed Han Yue in the second round, while Dhruv and Tanisha will face top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping on Thursday.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-wc-2026-argentina-vs-england-sf-when-and-where-to-watch-live-streaming-in-india-1784109849959">FIFA WC 2026, Argentina vs England SF: When and where to watch live streaming in India?</a>&nbsp;The 21-year-old, Ayush, entered the match with confidence after defeating Kunlavut during his run to the Asia Championships final earlier this year. However, the Thai star, a three-time world junior champion, proved too strong this time.&nbsp;Ayush made a good start and led 7-4 in the opening game, but Kunlavut fought back to take a 12-9 lead. The Indian reduced the gap to 13-12, but the Thai moved ahead 19-16.&nbsp;Ayush saved three points in a row to make it close before Kunlavut wrapped up the first game.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-iran-congratulates-spain-for-semi-final-win-and-for-standing-on-the-right-side-of-history-1784106740908">FIFA | Iran congratulates Spain for SF win, 'standing on right side of history'</a>&nbsp;The second game was equally competitive. Kunlavut led early, but Ayush went into the mid-game break with a narrow 11-10 advantage. Later, the Thai earned four match points, but Ayush showed great determination and won a tense rally to level the match.&nbsp;In the deciding game, however, Ayush could not keep up the momentum. Kunlavut quickly took control with an 8-5 lead, extended it to 14-8 and comfortably sealed the match to reach the second round.&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

It was a disappointing day for India at the Japan Open 2026 as Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda and Lakshya Sen were all knocked out of the tournament.

India suffered a disappointing day at the Japan Open 2026 as Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda and Lakshya Sen were all knocked out in the opening round in Tokyo on Wednesday (Jul 15). Ayush Shetty put up a strong fight against second seed and former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn but lost 19-21, 25-23, 15-21 in a hard-fought men’s singles match that lasted 82 minutes. World No. 24 Unnati Hooda also bowed out after suffering a 21-16, 16-21, 15-21 defeat to Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Hsun. It was her second straight loss against the same opponent. Lakshya Sen, the former All England Championships runner-up, was beaten 16-21, 14-21 by Japan’s Koki Watanabe in just 38 minutes. With the win, Watanabe improved his head-to-head record against the Indian to 4-3. The three first-round exits made it a disappointing day for India, especially with the country set to host the BWF World Championships in New Delhi next month for the first time in 17 years. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto are now India’s only players left in the USD 950,000 tournament. Sindhu will take on China’s fifth seed Han Yue in the second round, while Dhruv and Tanisha will face top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping on Thursday. Also Read - FIFA WC 2026, Argentina vs England SF: When and where to watch live streaming in India? The 21-year-old, Ayush, entered the match with confidence after defeating Kunlavut during his run to the Asia Championships final earlier this year. However, the Thai star, a three-time world junior champion, proved too strong this time. Ayush made a good start and led 7-4 in the opening game, but Kunlavut fought back to take a 12-9 lead. The Indian reduced the gap to 13-12, but the Thai moved ahead 19-16. Ayush saved three points in a row to make it close before Kunlavut wrapped up the first game. Also Read - FIFA | Iran congratulates Spain for SF win, 'standing on right side of history' The second game was equally competitive. Kunlavut led early, but Ayush went into the mid-game break with a narrow 11-10 advantage. Later, the Thai earned four match points, but Ayush showed great determination and won a tense rally to level the match. In the deciding game, however, Ayush could not keep up the momentum. Kunlavut quickly took control with an 8-5 lead, extended it to 14-8 and comfortably sealed the match to reach the second round. With inputs from agencies

It was a disappointing day for India at the Japan Open 2026 as Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda and Lakshya Sen were all knocked out of the tournament.

Japan Open 2026: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty & Unnati Hooda knocked out on Day 2

India experienced a mixed outing at the Thailand Open 2026 on Wednesday (May 13), as PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth secured comfortable victories to move into the round of 16, while Ayush Shetty suffered an early exit in Bangkok. The former world No. 1, Srikanth, delivered a dominant performance against Singapore’s eighth seed Loh Kean Yew, winning 21-14, 21-15 in 30 minutes. Recreating their 2021 World Championships final clash, the Indian shuttler controlled the rallies from the very beginning and gave Loh little opportunity to settle into the contest.&nbsp;Currently ranked world No. 29, Srikanth maintained his intensity throughout the match and easily dealt with a brief fightback from the Singaporean in the second game. The 2013 Thailand Open winner will next take on Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang in the second round.&nbsp;World No. 11 Lakshya extended his head-to-head record to 6-0 against Singapore’s Jia Heng Jason Teh with a 21-16, 21-17 victory in 43 minutes.&nbsp;Meanwhile, PV Sindhu also advanced with ease after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Tung Ciou-Tong 21-9, 21-12 in a 33-minute encounter. The sixth seed dominated with aggressive attacking play and remained in command throughout the match to set up a round of 16 match with Denmark’s Amalie Schulz.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2026-here-s-all-you-need-to-know-about-pbks-vs-mi-match-no-58-timing-squad-h2h-more-1778664306382">IPL 2026: Here's all you need to know about PBKS vs MI match no 58 timing, squad, H2H &amp; more</a>&nbsp;The two-time Olympic medallist is aiming to capture her first BWF World Tour title since winning the Syed Modi International in 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;India had another positive result through Devika Sihag, who claimed her first-ever Super 500-level victory. The 21-year-old overcame Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira 21-19, 13-21, 21-15 in a thrilling contest that lasted one hour and 11 minutes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ayush Shetty, however, failed to progress despite putting up a hard fought challenge against Japan’s sixth seed Kodai Naraoka. The Badminton Asia Championships silver medallist dropped the opening game 13-21 before fighting back to take the second 21-17. Naraoka, though, dominated the decider to complete a 21-13, 17-21, 21-4 win in 59 minutes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tharun Mannepalli’s campaign also ended in the opening round after a straight-game loss to Japan’s Koki Watanabe, who won 21-12, 21-16.&nbsp;&nbsp;Teenagers Unnati Hooda and Anmol Kharb showed promising signs despite defeats against higher-ranked rivals.&nbsp;Unnati took the opening game against Thailand’s fourth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong, but the local favourite recovered strongly to register an 11-21, 21-17, 21-16 victory.&nbsp;Anmol came close to stunning reigning champion and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Chen Yu Fei. The 19-year-old surged to an 11-2 lead in the deciding game before the experienced Chinese shuttler staged a comeback to win 19-21, 21-13, 21-18.&nbsp;

PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth storm into Thailand Open round of 16 with straight-game wins; Ayush Shetty knocked out in Bangkok

India experienced a mixed outing at the Thailand Open 2026 on Wednesday (May 13), as PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth secured comfortable victories to move into the round of 16, while Ayush Shetty suffered an early exit in Bangkok. The former world No. 1, Srikanth, delivered a dominant performance against Singapore’s eighth seed Loh Kean Yew, winning 21-14, 21-15 in 30 minutes. Recreating their 2021 World Championships final clash, the Indian shuttler controlled the rallies from the very beginning and gave Loh little opportunity to settle into the contest. Currently ranked world No. 29, Srikanth maintained his intensity throughout the match and easily dealt with a brief fightback from the Singaporean in the second game. The 2013 Thailand Open winner will next take on Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang in the second round. World No. 11 Lakshya extended his head-to-head record to 6-0 against Singapore’s Jia Heng Jason Teh with a 21-16, 21-17 victory in 43 minutes. Meanwhile, PV Sindhu also advanced with ease after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Tung Ciou-Tong 21-9, 21-12 in a 33-minute encounter. The sixth seed dominated with aggressive attacking play and remained in command throughout the match to set up a round of 16 match with Denmark’s Amalie Schulz. Also Read - IPL 2026: Here's all you need to know about PBKS vs MI match no 58 timing, squad, H2H & more The two-time Olympic medallist is aiming to capture her first BWF World Tour title since winning the Syed Modi International in 2024. India had another positive result through Devika Sihag, who claimed her first-ever Super 500-level victory. The 21-year-old overcame Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira 21-19, 13-21, 21-15 in a thrilling contest that lasted one hour and 11 minutes. Ayush Shetty, however, failed to progress despite putting up a hard fought challenge against Japan’s sixth seed Kodai Naraoka. The Badminton Asia Championships silver medallist dropped the opening game 13-21 before fighting back to take the second 21-17. Naraoka, though, dominated the decider to complete a 21-13, 17-21, 21-4 win in 59 minutes. Tharun Mannepalli’s campaign also ended in the opening round after a straight-game loss to Japan’s Koki Watanabe, who won 21-12, 21-16. Teenagers Unnati Hooda and Anmol Kharb showed promising signs despite defeats against higher-ranked rivals. Unnati took the opening game against Thailand’s fourth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong, but the local favourite recovered strongly to register an 11-21, 21-17, 21-16 victory. Anmol came close to stunning reigning champion and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Chen Yu Fei. The 19-year-old surged to an 11-2 lead in the deciding game before the experienced Chinese shuttler staged a comeback to win 19-21, 21-13, 21-18.

PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth storm into Thailand Open round of 16 with straight-game wins; Ayush Shetty knocked out in Bangkok

Thailand Open 2026: Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Srikanth advance to round of 16; Ayush knocked out

Lakshya Sen had a stellar run at the recently-concluded All England Open 2026 badminton championships where he became only the second Indian to enter second men's singles finals. The Indian shuttler, however, suffered a heartbreaking loss in the title match, losing 21-15, 22-20 in straight sets to Taiwan's Lin Chun-yi. The ace shuttler spoke to WION after the BWF 1000 event and revealed details about planning and preparation which goes into training before entering a tournament like All England Open.

Lakshya Sen Shares Planning and Preparation Details Before Big Tournaments 

Lakshya Sen had a stellar run at the recently-concluded All England Open 2026 badminston championships where he became only the second Indian to enter second men's singles finals. The Indian shuttler, however, suffered a heartbreaking loss in the title match, losing 21-15, 22-20 in straight sets to Taiwan's Lin Chun-yi. Sen, nonetheless, played remarkably well leading to the final including his victory in the semi-final despite suffering from cramps.The ace shuttler spoke to WION after the BWF 1000 event and revealed details about planning and prepration which goes into training before entering a tournament like All England Open.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-training-with-chatgpt-how-artificial-intelligence-helped-ukraine-athlete-maksym-murashkovskyi-win-silver-at-winter-paralympics-1773105709019">How AI helped Ukraine athlete win silver at Winter Paralympics</a>"There is a difference between playing, let's say any 500 event or a 1000 event where I don't play many tournaments before that so that I can be extra fresh for the big events," said Sen about his preparation before big events like All England Open."For the big events like All England and the tournament that are coming ahead, you want to peak well, you want to be very fresh and have a good training week and again come back with a fresher mindset. Physically, you can't be at your very best throughout the year, so you have to pick and choose the weeks that you actually want to be at the top," he explained.Talking about the training aspect before big events, Lakshya said he's "trying to figure out with my team, with my coaches that how can I peak well in the big tournaments.""Before the big tournaments I try to have a good training week, where I can really focus on fitness and also be very fresh for the big events to play. That has been, in the last few years, how I prepared, especially for the Olympics. I try and learn from those experience where I was playing less tournaments and then trying to give more time to training and then playing few tournaments in between. But, again, knowing that I'll be robably not 100% in those pre-tournaments that I play before a big event and probably I'm still in that hard training phase where the body is still not 100% to compete, but we still have to play a lot of other tournaments just to maintain the ranking,"The Indian shuttler will have many hopes pinned on him later in the year when he takes part in the Asian Games and World Championship as well.

The ace shuttler spoke to WION after the BWF 1000 event and revealed details about planning and prepration which goes into training before entering a tournament like All England Open which he ended as men's singles runner up for the second time in his career.

Lakshya Sen had a stellar run at the recently-concluded All England Open 2026 badminston championships where he became only the second Indian to enter second men's singles finals. The Indian shuttler, however, suffered a heartbreaking loss in the title match, losing 21-15, 22-20 in straight sets to Taiwan's Lin Chun-yi. Sen, nonetheless, played remarkably well leading to the final including his victory in the semi-final despite suffering from cramps. The ace shuttler spoke to WION after the BWF 1000 event and revealed details about planning and prepration which goes into training before entering a tournament like All England Open. Also Read - How AI helped Ukraine athlete win silver at Winter Paralympics "There is a difference between playing, let's say any 500 event or a 1000 event where I don't play many tournaments before that so that I can be extra fresh for the big events," said Sen about his preparation before big events like All England Open. "For the big events like All England and the tournament that are coming ahead, you want to peak well, you want to be very fresh and have a good training week and again come back with a fresher mindset. Physically, you can't be at your very best throughout the year, so you have to pick and choose the weeks that you actually want to be at the top," he explained. Talking about the training aspect before big events, Lakshya said he's "trying to figure out with my team, with my coaches that how can I peak well in the big tournaments." "Before the big tournaments I try to have a good training week, where I can really focus on fitness and also be very fresh for the big events to play. That has been, in the last few years, how I prepared, especially for the Olympics. I try and learn from those experience where I was playing less tournaments and then trying to give more time to training and then playing few tournaments in between. But, again, knowing that I'll be robably not 100% in those pre-tournaments that I play before a big event and probably I'm still in that hard training phase where the body is still not 100% to compete, but we still have to play a lot of other tournaments just to maintain the ranking," The Indian shuttler will have many hopes pinned on him later in the year when he takes part in the Asian Games and World Championship as well.

The ace shuttler spoke to WION after the BWF 1000 event and revealed details about planning and prepration which goes into training before entering a tournament like All England Open which he ended as men's singles runner up for the second time in his career.

All England Open | Lakshya 'trying to figure out how to peak in big tournaments' after FINAL heartbreak

Lakshya Sen will return with a silver medal from the All England Open 2026 after the 24-year-old went down in the men’s singles final 21-15, 22-20 against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi here on Sunday. Sen, who had spent more than five hours on the court in the run-up to the final, fought hard through the 57-minute encounter against the lightening fast Lin but ended on the wrong side of the scoreline for the second time in the All England final.&nbsp;Lin, who had won the Yonex-Sunrise India Open Super 500 title earlier this year, became the first men’s singles player from Chinese Taipei to clinch the title in the prestigious tournament.&nbsp;In the final, Sen took time to get off the blocks. But once he found his rhythm, he began to push Lin into longer rallies.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-nz-t20-world-cup-final-underfire-varun-chakaravarthy-abhishek-sharma-retain-spot-in-playing-xi-as-india-go-unchanged-india-vs-new-zealand-1772975181441">IND vs NZ, T20 WC final: Underfire Varun, Abhishek retain spot in Playing XI</a> Sen, who had also reached the 2022 final, struggled to find the depth in his lifts and tosses and Lin pounced on them to find the cross court winners and bag the opening game.&nbsp;Facing a must-win situation in the second game, Sen raised the tempo of the rallies and induced mistakes from Lin. He won six straight points from 3-4 to make it 9-4 before the eventual champion started crawling back into the game. The Chinese Taipei shuttler engaged the tiring Sen into long rallies and started to take control.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-super-8-james-anderson-stunned-by-jasprit-bumrah-six-yorker-masterclass-vs-england-in-mumbai-1772978681775">‘He’s a Freak!’ James Anderson stunned by Bumrah’s six-yorker masterclass vs ENG in Mumbai</a>&nbsp;With Lin earning a match point at 20-19, Sen threw everything at Lin to save the first match point but it was not to be for the Indian as his opponent wrapped the title on second match point.

Lakshya Sen became the second Indian man after his mentor, Prakash Padukone, to reach the All England final twice. However, he also became the first Indian man to lose the summit clash twice.

Lakshya Sen will return with a silver medal from the All England Open 2026 after the 24-year-old went down in the men’s singles final 21-15, 22-20 against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi here on Sunday. Sen, who had spent more than five hours on the court in the run-up to the final, fought hard through the 57-minute encounter against the lightening fast Lin but ended on the wrong side of the scoreline for the second time in the All England final. Lin, who had won the Yonex-Sunrise India Open Super 500 title earlier this year, became the first men’s singles player from Chinese Taipei to clinch the title in the prestigious tournament. In the final, Sen took time to get off the blocks. But once he found his rhythm, he began to push Lin into longer rallies. Also Read - IND vs NZ, T20 WC final: Underfire Varun, Abhishek retain spot in Playing XI Sen, who had also reached the 2022 final, struggled to find the depth in his lifts and tosses and Lin pounced on them to find the cross court winners and bag the opening game. Facing a must-win situation in the second game, Sen raised the tempo of the rallies and induced mistakes from Lin. He won six straight points from 3-4 to make it 9-4 before the eventual champion started crawling back into the game. The Chinese Taipei shuttler engaged the tiring Sen into long rallies and started to take control. Also Read - ‘He’s a Freak!’ James Anderson stunned by Bumrah’s six-yorker masterclass vs ENG in Mumbai With Lin earning a match point at 20-19, Sen threw everything at Lin to save the first match point but it was not to be for the Indian as his opponent wrapped the title on second match point.

Lakshya Sen became the second Indian man after his mentor, Prakash Padukone, to reach the All England final twice. However, he also became the first Indian man to lose the summit clash twice.

Lakshya Sen finishes runner-up as Lin Chun-yi wins All England Open 2026

India’s ace shuttler Lakshya Sen stormed into the final of the All England Open Badminton Championships as he got the better of Victor Lai in the semifinal clash. Playing in Birmingham, Sen defeated Canada’s Lai 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 to book his place in the final. Sen now takes on Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi for the championship as he tries to improve from his 2022 silver medal performance.<h2>Sen in All England Open final</h2>Sen’s mentor, Prakash Padukone, had reached the All England final in 1980 and 1981 and won the title in his first appearance in the summit clash. The semifinal clash on Saturday between Sen and Lai tested the physical endurance of both players as they engaged in multiple rallies that went beyond 50 strokes. It was Sen’s ability to find an extra gear that helped the Indian take the opening game, which stayed neck-and-neck till 17-16. Sen then took four straight points to draw first blood.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/meet-indians-to-score-most-runs-in-each-of-last-5-t20-world-cups-ft-virat-kohli-kl-rahul-rohit-sharma-2026-t20-world-cup-1768479871185">Meet Indians to score most runs in each of last 5 T20 World Cups ft Virat Kohli</a>&nbsp;But Lai, the first Canadian player to win a BWF World Championships medal, bounced back in the second game and took an 11-7 lead at the mid-game interval. Sen, who was by then struggling with blisters, fought back to draw level at 16-16, only for Lai to once again pull away and take the match in the decider. The 24-year-old’s experience meant that he at times took calculated risks to take a sizeable 15-9 lead.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-chris-gayle-to-brendon-mccullum-5-batters-to-score-fastest-t20-world-cup-hundreds-rilee-rossouw-ahmed-shehzad-1768553361691">From Chris Gayle to Brendon McCullum, 5 batters to score fastest T20 World Cup hundreds</a>&nbsp;However, Lai is known for fighting till the end and he managed to close the gap at 17-15 before Sen once again won four straight points to reach the final. In the summit clash, he will face India Open champion Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei after the left-hander packed off second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-14, 18-21, 21-16 in an hour and 18 minutes.

Playing in Birmingham, Sen defeated Canada’s Lai 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 to book his place in the final. Sen now takes on Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi for the championship as he tries to improve from his 2022 silver medal performance.

India’s ace shuttler Lakshya Sen stormed into the final of the All England Open Badminton Championships as he got the better of Victor Lai in the semifinal clash. Playing in Birmingham, Sen defeated Canada’s Lai 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 to book his place in the final. Sen now takes on Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi for the championship as he tries to improve from his 2022 silver medal performance. Sen in All England Open final Sen’s mentor, Prakash Padukone, had reached the All England final in 1980 and 1981 and won the title in his first appearance in the summit clash. The semifinal clash on Saturday between Sen and Lai tested the physical endurance of both players as they engaged in multiple rallies that went beyond 50 strokes. It was Sen’s ability to find an extra gear that helped the Indian take the opening game, which stayed neck-and-neck till 17-16. Sen then took four straight points to draw first blood. ALSO READ | Meet Indians to score most runs in each of last 5 T20 World Cups ft Virat Kohli But Lai, the first Canadian player to win a BWF World Championships medal, bounced back in the second game and took an 11-7 lead at the mid-game interval. Sen, who was by then struggling with blisters, fought back to draw level at 16-16, only for Lai to once again pull away and take the match in the decider. The 24-year-old’s experience meant that he at times took calculated risks to take a sizeable 15-9 lead. ALSO READ | From Chris Gayle to Brendon McCullum, 5 batters to score fastest T20 World Cup hundreds However, Lai is known for fighting till the end and he managed to close the gap at 17-15 before Sen once again won four straight points to reach the final. In the summit clash, he will face India Open champion Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei after the left-hander packed off second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-14, 18-21, 21-16 in an hour and 18 minutes.

Playing in Birmingham, Sen defeated Canada’s Lai 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 to book his place in the final. Sen now takes on Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi for the championship as he tries to improve from his 2022 silver medal performance.

All England Open: Lakshya Sen storms into final with narrow win over Victor Lai, to face Lin Chun-yi for title

Lakshya Sen delivered a strong performance to defeat China’s Li Shi Feng in the men’s singles quarterfinals of the All England Open Badminton Championships, earning a place in the semifinals.The Indian shuttler controlled the match from the beginning and won in straight games, 21-13, 21-16, finishing the contest in 45 minutes. In the first game, Lakshya started quickly, built an early lead and maintained it comfortably. He closed the game by winning six points in a row.&nbsp;The second game was more competitive, as both the shuttlers were exchanging the lead on numerous occasions . However, Lakshya later scored several points in succession to gain a clear advantage and secure the win.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/inside-the-mind-of-f1-s-newest-driver-18-year-old-arvid-lindblad-on-failure-learning-and-formula-1-1772836576595">Inside the mind of F1’s newest driver: 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad on failure, learning and Formula 1</a>&nbsp;The 24-year-old, who also reached the semifinals of this tournament in 2024, is now the only Indian player remaining in the competition this year. Earlier in the tournament, he surprised world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi in the opening round.&nbsp;Lakshya will now play against Canada’s Victor Lai, who is ranked No. 16 in the world, in the semifinals.Other Indian players were eliminated earlier, as the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost in the first round. Malvika Bansod and Unnati Hooda were also knocked out in the first round of the women’s singles.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pinkathon-delhi-2026-set-for-march-8-to-mark-international-women-s-day-1772834169600">Pinkathon Delhi 2026 set for March 8 to mark International Women’s Day</a>&nbsp;Two-time Olympian PV Sindhu withdrew from the tournament because travel disruptions in the Middle East prevented her from reaching Birmingham on time. Meanwhile, the mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila had to retire from their match on Thursday.&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

Lakshya Sen, the only Indian left in the All England Open, took on Li Shifeng in the quarterfinal on Friday. Lakshya won in straight games to enter the semifinals and will face Canada's Victor Lai on Saturday.

Lakshya Sen delivered a strong performance to defeat China’s Li Shi Feng in the men’s singles quarterfinals of the All England Open Badminton Championships, earning a place in the semifinals. The Indian shuttler controlled the match from the beginning and won in straight games, 21-13, 21-16, finishing the contest in 45 minutes. In the first game, Lakshya started quickly, built an early lead and maintained it comfortably. He closed the game by winning six points in a row. The second game was more competitive, as both the shuttlers were exchanging the lead on numerous occasions . However, Lakshya later scored several points in succession to gain a clear advantage and secure the win. Also Read - Inside the mind of F1’s newest driver: 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad on failure, learning and Formula 1 The 24-year-old, who also reached the semifinals of this tournament in 2024, is now the only Indian player remaining in the competition this year. Earlier in the tournament, he surprised world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi in the opening round. Lakshya will now play against Canada’s Victor Lai, who is ranked No. 16 in the world, in the semifinals. Other Indian players were eliminated earlier, as the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost in the first round. Malvika Bansod and Unnati Hooda were also knocked out in the first round of the women’s singles. Also Read - Pinkathon Delhi 2026 set for March 8 to mark International Women’s Day Two-time Olympian PV Sindhu withdrew from the tournament because travel disruptions in the Middle East prevented her from reaching Birmingham on time. Meanwhile, the mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila had to retire from their match on Thursday. With inputs from agencies

Lakshya Sen, the only Indian left in the All England Open, took on Li Shifeng in the quarterfinal on Friday. Lakshya won in straight games to enter the semifinals and will face Canada's Victor Lai on Saturday.

All England Open 2026: Lakshya Sen enters semis after beating Li Shi Feng

Ace shuttler Lakshya Sen is the only Indian left at the ongoing All England Open badminton championship three days into the tournament. Sen beat Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus in men's singles Round of 32 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 on Thursday (Mar 5) to enter the quarter-finals. This was Sen's second win of the tournament after beating top ranked Shi Yuqi of China in an epic upset in the first round of the tournament. Lakshya will now face Li Shifeng in R16 on Friday (Mar 6) and would hope to make it to the semis. Notably, Lakshya had made it to the final of All England Open 2022 and will aim to one up his best at the ongoing edition.<h2>Lakshya keeps Indian hopes alive at All England Open</h2>The Indian shuttler kept his nerves at 19-19 to win the first game 21-19. In the second game, was up 11-4 before it became 20-17 and his opponent saved three match points to make it 20-20 and then went on win 21-23. In the third and final game, Lakshya was at his best again and won it dominantly 21-10.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-survive-jacob-bethell-brilliance-in-7-run-thriller-to-set-up-t20-world-cup-final-vs-new-zealand-check-social-media-reactions-1772732788703">Internet thanks Bumrah, Axar as India escape England to setup T20 WC final vs NZ</a>Speaking after the match, Sen talked about the reason behind the second game he lost and said: "I think didn't play freely towards the end of the second set and just gave too many easy shots for him to get. But yeah, I think I was prepared again in the third set to just go all out and happy with the way I played in the third (game)."Talking about how he managed to kept his calm in the deciding third game, Lakhsya said: "It was important to just switch off, forget the second set, forget the first set and just play the third set with the same game plan which was working."<h2>What about other Indian shuttlers in All England Open</h2>Apart from Lakshya, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto were in action on Thursday (Mar 5) in mixed doubles but lost to Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong 19-21, 8-9 after Dhruv retired in the second game because of back issues. All other Indians had alredy exited the championship after losing in previous rounds.&nbsp;

All England Open | Lakshya Sen beat Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus in R32 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 for 2nd win of the tournament after beating top ranked Shi Yuqi of China in an epic 1st round upset. Lakshya will now face Li Shifeng in R16 on Friday (Mar 6) and would hope to make it to the semis.

Ace shuttler Lakshya Sen is the only Indian left at the ongoing All England Open badminton championship three days into the tournament. Sen beat Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus in men's singles Round of 32 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 on Thursday (Mar 5) to enter the quarter-finals. This was Sen's second win of the tournament after beating top ranked Shi Yuqi of China in an epic upset in the first round of the tournament. Lakshya will now face Li Shifeng in R16 on Friday (Mar 6) and would hope to make it to the semis. Notably, Lakshya had made it to the final of All England Open 2022 and will aim to one up his best at the ongoing edition. Lakshya keeps Indian hopes alive at All England Open The Indian shuttler kept his nerves at 19-19 to win the first game 21-19. In the second game, was up 11-4 before it became 20-17 and his opponent saved three match points to make it 20-20 and then went on win 21-23. In the third and final game, Lakshya was at his best again and won it dominantly 21-10. Also Read - Internet thanks Bumrah, Axar as India escape England to setup T20 WC final vs NZ Speaking after the match, Sen talked about the reason behind the second game he lost and said: "I think didn't play freely towards the end of the second set and just gave too many easy shots for him to get. But yeah, I think I was prepared again in the third set to just go all out and happy with the way I played in the third (game)." Talking about how he managed to kept his calm in the deciding third game, Lakhsya said: "It was important to just switch off, forget the second set, forget the first set and just play the third set with the same game plan which was working." What about other Indian shuttlers in All England Open Apart from Lakshya, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto were in action on Thursday (Mar 5) in mixed doubles but lost to Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong 19-21, 8-9 after Dhruv retired in the second game because of back issues. All other Indians had alredy exited the championship after losing in previous rounds.

All England Open | Lakshya Sen beat Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus in R32 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 for 2nd win of the tournament after beating top ranked Shi Yuqi of China in an epic 1st round upset. Lakshya will now face Li Shifeng in R16 on Friday (Mar 6) and would hope to make it to the semis.

All England Open | Lakshya Sen keeps Indian hopes alive, enters quarter-finals with R32 win vs Angus

The All England Open badminton championship, one of the most pretigious tournaments in sport, is set to begin on Tuesday (Mar 3). There's will be a lot of Indians participating in the event but top Indian ace shuttler<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/iran-us-israel-war-forces-stranded-pv-sindhu-out-of-all-england-open-2026-first-reserve-k-srikanth-could-earn-main-draw-entry-1772467561674"> PV Sindhu will miss after her travel plans were disrupted</a> beause of onoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. Nonetheless, there will be many Indians in action on the opening day.<h2>Which Indians will be in action on March 3 in All England Open?</h2>As many as seven Indians will be participating in the All England Open badminton championship on opening day of Tuesday (Mar 3). Below is the list of all the athletes playing today:Men's Singles: Lakshya Sen vs Shi Yu QiWomen's Singles: Unnati Hooda vs Pornpawee Chochuwong &amp; Malvika Bansod vs Chen Yu FeiWomen's Doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand Pullela vs Sayaka Hirota/Ayako SakuramotoMixed Doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto vs Pang Ron Hoo/Su Yin Cheng<h2>What time is the All England Open matches of Indian players?</h2>The first match, featuring Lakshya Sen, starts 5:10 pm IST at Minoru Yoneyama Court in Utilita Arena, Birmingham. Next is Malvika Bansod at around 5:20 pm IST at Court 4. It is followed by mixed doubled featuring Dhruv Kapila &amp; Tanisha Crasto at around 6:10 pm IST, also at Court 4.Unnati Hooda then plays her women's singles at arond 9:20 pm IST at Minoru Yoneyama Court followed by Treesa Jolly &amp; Gayatri Gopichand Pullela in women's doubles at 9:50 pm IST, also at Court 4.<h2>Where to watch All England Open badmsinton championship live in India?</h2>The All England Open badminton championship can viewed live in India on JioHotstar app on mobile and Star Sports Select 2 HD &amp; Star Sports Select 2 SD channels on TV.

As many as seven Indians will be participating in the All England Open badminton championship on Mar 3. Lakshya Sen (men's singles), Unnati Hooda, Malvika Bansod (women's singles), Treesa Jolly & Gayatri Gopichand (women's doubles), and Dhruv Kapila & Tanisha Crasto (mixed doubles)

The All England Open badminton championship, one of the most pretigious tournaments in sport, is set to begin on Tuesday (Mar 3). There's will be a lot of Indians participating in the event but top Indian ace shuttler PV Sindhu will miss after her travel plans were disrupted beause of onoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. Nonetheless, there will be many Indians in action on the opening day. Which Indians will be in action on March 3 in All England Open? As many as seven Indians will be participating in the All England Open badminton championship on opening day of Tuesday (Mar 3). Below is the list of all the athletes playing today: Men's Singles: Lakshya Sen vs Shi Yu Qi Women's Singles: Unnati Hooda vs Pornpawee Chochuwong & Malvika Bansod vs Chen Yu Fei Women's Doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand Pullela vs Sayaka Hirota/Ayako Sakuramoto Mixed Doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto vs Pang Ron Hoo/Su Yin Cheng What time is the All England Open matches of Indian players? The first match, featuring Lakshya Sen, starts 5:10 pm IST at Minoru Yoneyama Court in Utilita Arena, Birmingham. Next is Malvika Bansod at around 5:20 pm IST at Court 4. It is followed by mixed doubled featuring Dhruv Kapila & Tanisha Crasto at around 6:10 pm IST, also at Court 4. Unnati Hooda then plays her women's singles at arond 9:20 pm IST at Minoru Yoneyama Court followed by Treesa Jolly & Gayatri Gopichand Pullela in women's doubles at 9:50 pm IST, also at Court 4. Where to watch All England Open badmsinton championship live in India? The All England Open badminton championship can viewed live in India on JioHotstar app on mobile and Star Sports Select 2 HD & Star Sports Select 2 SD channels on TV.

As many as seven Indians will be participating in the All England Open badminton championship on Mar 3. Lakshya Sen (men's singles), Unnati Hooda, Malvika Bansod (women's singles), Treesa Jolly &amp; Gayatri Gopichand (women's doubles), and Dhruv Kapila &amp; Tanisha Crasto (mixed doubles)

All England Open | Lakshya Sen to Gayatri Gopichand - Meet Indian players in action on March 3

Former champion Lakshya Sen and Syed Modi International winners Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand started their Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2026 campaigns on a strong note, while several top international seeds bowed out on a dramatic opening day of the BWF World Tour Super 750 event in New Delhi on Tuesday (January 13). Playing at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Sen wrapped up a comfortable 21-12, 21-15 victory over his academy colleague Shetty in just 36 minutes. In women’s doubles, Treesa and Gayatri outplayed Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai 21-15, 21-11 to advance without much resistance.&nbsp;The day also saw major upsets, with Canada’s Brian Yang defeating men’s fourth seed Chou Tien Chen 21-19, 21-11. French sixth seed Alex Lanier was surprised by Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in straight games, while Japan’s seventh seed Kodai Naraoka retired mid-match against compatriot Kenta Nishimoto after falling behind.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/vijay-hazare-trophy-rcb-ipl-winning-captain-fails-as-punjab-and-vidarbha-make-it-to-semis-1768305677569">Vijay Hazare Trophy: RCB's IPL-winning captain fails as Punjab and Vidarbha make it to semis</a>&nbsp;Sen set the tone early, racing to a 7-1 lead and controlling the exchanges at the net. Although Shetty showed glimpses of resistance late in the opening game, the deficit proved too large to overcome. Shetty made a brighter start in the second game, moving ahead 5-1 as Sen adjusted to the sideways drift. However, Sen’s sharp stick smashes and deceptive net play quickly turned the momentum. Once back in control, the 2021 world championships bronze medallist closed out the match with ease.&nbsp;“The first match is always crucial. The conditions were tricky, cold weather and a fast shuttle in a big hall, but I was happy with how prepared I felt,” Sen said after the match. He will next take on Nishimoto in the second round. Earlier, Treesa and Gayatri gave the home crowd plenty to cheer with a dominant display. The world no. 21 Indian pair dictated play throughout the 42-minute encounter and will now meet China’s seventh-seeded duo Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min, who progressed with a convincing win over an American pairing.&nbsp;India also enjoyed success in men’s doubles as Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun defeated Malaysians Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi 21-15, 21-18. Their next challenge will be against fourth seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China. In contrast, women’s doubles finalists at the National Championships, Shruti Mishra and Priya Konjengbam, exited after a three-game loss to Hong Kong China’s Lui Lok Lok and Tsang Hiu Yan. Despite saving five match points and earning one themselves, the Indian pair eventually lost 21-11, 20-22, 24-22.&nbsp;Former world champion PV Sindhu, along with Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy, will begin their campaigns on Wednesday. Meanwhile, third seeds Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy progressed to the next round after receiving a walkover due to the withdrawal of their American opponents.<h2>Day 1 results</h2>Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen bt Ayush Shetty 21-12, 21-15; Chi Yu-Jen (Tpe) bt 6-Alex Lanier (Fra) 21-17, 21-19; Brian Yang (Can) bt 4-Chou Tien Chen (Tpe) 21-19, 21-11; Victor Lai (Can) bt Toma Junior Popov (Fra) 21-12, 16-21, 21-8Women’s singles: 7-Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Riko Gunji (Jpn) 21-19, 21-15; 6-Putri Kusuma Wardani (Ina) bt Michelle Li (Can) 21-12, 20-22, 21-15Men’s doubles: Hariharan Amsakarunan/MR Arjun bt Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (Mas) 21-15, 21-18; Christo Popov/Toma Junior Popov (Fra) bt Choong Hon Jian/Haikal Muhammad (Mal) 21-11, 21-19Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand bt Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn/Sukitta Suwachai (Tha) 21-15, 21-11; Lui Lok Lok/Tsang Hiu Yan (Hkg) bt Shruti Mishra/Priya Konjengbam 21-11, 20-22, 24-22Mixed doubles: Hiroki Midorikawa/Nami Matsuyama (Jpn) bt Dhruv Rawat/K Maneesha 21-9, 21-10.

India Open 2026: Strong start for Lakshya Sen, Treesa–Gayatri; Chou, Naraoka crash out

Former champion Lakshya Sen and Syed Modi International winners Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand started their Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2026 campaigns on a strong note, while several top international seeds bowed out on a dramatic opening day of the BWF World Tour Super 750 event in New Delhi on Tuesday (January 13). Playing at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Sen wrapped up a comfortable 21-12, 21-15 victory over his academy colleague Shetty in just 36 minutes. In women’s doubles, Treesa and Gayatri outplayed Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai 21-15, 21-11 to advance without much resistance. The day also saw major upsets, with Canada’s Brian Yang defeating men’s fourth seed Chou Tien Chen 21-19, 21-11. French sixth seed Alex Lanier was surprised by Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in straight games, while Japan’s seventh seed Kodai Naraoka retired mid-match against compatriot Kenta Nishimoto after falling behind. Also Read: Vijay Hazare Trophy: RCB's IPL-winning captain fails as Punjab and Vidarbha make it to semis Sen set the tone early, racing to a 7-1 lead and controlling the exchanges at the net. Although Shetty showed glimpses of resistance late in the opening game, the deficit proved too large to overcome. Shetty made a brighter start in the second game, moving ahead 5-1 as Sen adjusted to the sideways drift. However, Sen’s sharp stick smashes and deceptive net play quickly turned the momentum. Once back in control, the 2021 world championships bronze medallist closed out the match with ease. “The first match is always crucial. The conditions were tricky, cold weather and a fast shuttle in a big hall, but I was happy with how prepared I felt,” Sen said after the match. He will next take on Nishimoto in the second round. Earlier, Treesa and Gayatri gave the home crowd plenty to cheer with a dominant display. The world no. 21 Indian pair dictated play throughout the 42-minute encounter and will now meet China’s seventh-seeded duo Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min, who progressed with a convincing win over an American pairing. India also enjoyed success in men’s doubles as Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun defeated Malaysians Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi 21-15, 21-18. Their next challenge will be against fourth seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China. In contrast, women’s doubles finalists at the National Championships, Shruti Mishra and Priya Konjengbam, exited after a three-game loss to Hong Kong China’s Lui Lok Lok and Tsang Hiu Yan. Despite saving five match points and earning one themselves, the Indian pair eventually lost 21-11, 20-22, 24-22. Former world champion PV Sindhu, along with Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy, will begin their campaigns on Wednesday. Meanwhile, third seeds Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy progressed to the next round after receiving a walkover due to the withdrawal of their American opponents. Day 1 results Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen bt Ayush Shetty 21-12, 21-15; Chi Yu-Jen (Tpe) bt 6-Alex Lanier (Fra) 21-17, 21-19; Brian Yang (Can) bt 4-Chou Tien Chen (Tpe) 21-19, 21-11; Victor Lai (Can) bt Toma Junior Popov (Fra) 21-12, 16-21, 21-8 Women’s singles: 7-Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Riko Gunji (Jpn) 21-19, 21-15; 6-Putri Kusuma Wardani (Ina) bt Michelle Li (Can) 21-12, 20-22, 21-15 Men’s doubles: Hariharan Amsakarunan/MR Arjun bt Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (Mas) 21-15, 21-18; Christo Popov/Toma Junior Popov (Fra) bt Choong Hon Jian/Haikal Muhammad (Mal) 21-11, 21-19 Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand bt Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn/Sukitta Suwachai (Tha) 21-15, 21-11; Lui Lok Lok/Tsang Hiu Yan (Hkg) bt Shruti Mishra/Priya Konjengbam 21-11, 20-22, 24-22 Mixed doubles: Hiroki Midorikawa/Nami Matsuyama (Jpn) bt Dhruv Rawat/K Maneesha 21-9, 21-10.

Shuttlers Lakshya Sen and Treesa-Gayatri impressed on opening day of India Open 2026 as top seeds Chou Tien Chen and Naraoka suffered early exits

Indian badminton players were handed a tricky draw on the home turf as 2022 champion Lakshya Sen was pitted in an all-Indian battle against the up and coming Ayush Shetty while former world champion PV Sindhu will face Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen in the opening round of the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament to be played at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here from January 13-18. The India Open, one of the most prestigious tournament on the BWF World Tour, will be moving from the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium to a much bigger multi-purpose hall within the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex.&nbsp;&nbsp;The players will also get to understand and test the conditions as this will also be the venue for the BWF World Championships to be held in August later this year. And if the Indian contingent were hoping for a slightly easier opening round, then they were clearly not granted that wish.&nbsp; From the Indian perspective, Lakshya facing former world junior bronze medallist Ayush Shetty would mean that only three of the four Indian men’s singles in fray would have a chance to make it to the second round. And whoever manages to go through in this all-Indian clash is likely to face fourth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei or Kenta Nishimoto of Japan . Among the other Indian singles players, former world no. 1 Kidambi Srikanth will be up against 2024 Taipei’s Thomas Cup bronze medal winning team member and world no. 12 Lin Chun-Yi &nbsp;with a possible second round clash against Christo Popov, who created history last month by becoming the first French player to win the BWF World Tour Finals men’s singles title.&nbsp;&nbsp;H S Prannoy, who got into the main draw after the withdrawal of Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, will open his campaign against last edition finalist Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong.&nbsp;In the women’s singles, former world champion PV Sindhu will be up against Nguyen against whom the Indian had lost both their last two encounters. Nguyen, ranked 22 in the world, is one of the most improved player on the circuit last year and if she manages to get through the Vietnamese then second seed Wang Zhi Yi or her Chinese teammate Gao Fang Jie awaits her in the second round.&nbsp;Malvika Bansod, returning after a long injury break and playing in the tournament with her protected ranking, will face Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei in the opening round.&nbsp;In the doubles category, former champions Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have been handed a relatively easy opener against USA’s Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith. Their first real test may come in the quarter-finals where they could meet Chinese’s eighth seeds Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-ben-stokes-suffers-groin-injury-with-england-staring-at-loss-in-sydney-test-1767773081170">Ashes: Ben Stokes sustains groin injury as England look at defeat in Sydney Test</a>&nbsp;Two-time All-England semifinalists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will be up against Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai of Thailand with a possible second round against Chinese seventh seeds Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min.&nbsp;In the other interesting opening round clash, top seed An Se Young will face former world champion Nozomi Okuhara while third seed Akane Yamaguchi will be up against compatriot Riko Gunji.<h3>First round opponents of Indian players&nbsp;</h3>Men’s singles&nbsp;<ul><li>2022 winner Lakshya Sen vs Ayush Shetty</li><li>Kidambi Srikanth vs Lin Chun-Yi (TPE) no 12 part of 2024 Thomas cup bronze winning team</li><li>HS Prannoy vs Lee Cheuk Yiu (HKG) no 16 last edition finalist</li></ul>Women’s singles&nbsp;<ul><li>Malvika Bansod vs Pai Yu Po (TPE)</li><li>PV Sindhu vs Thuy Linh Nguyen (VIE) 2-2 has lost both the matches in 2025</li></ul>Men’s doubles&nbsp;<ul><li>Hariharan Amsakarunan/MR Arjun vs Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (MAS)</li><li>Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy vs Chen Zhi Yi/Presley Smith (USA)</li></ul>Women’s doubles&nbsp;<ul><li>Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand vs Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn/Sukitta Suwachai (THA)</li><li>Shruti Mishra/Priya Konjengbam vs Lui Lok Lok/Tsang Hiu Yan (HKG)</li><li>Rutuparna Panda/Swetparna Panda vs Nanako Hara/Riko Kiyose (JPN)</li><li>Kavipriya Selvam/Simran Singhi vs 2-Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (MAS)</li><li>Gayatri Rawat/Mansa Rawat vs 4-Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian (CHN)</li></ul>Mixed Doubles&nbsp;<ul><li>Rohan Kapoor/G Ruthvika Shivani vs Marvin Seidel/Thuc Phuong Nguyen (GER)</li><li>Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh vs Yuichi Shimogami/Sayaka Hobara (JPN)</li><li>Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto vs Pakkapon Teeraratsakul/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA)</li><li>Dhruv Rawat/Maneesha K vs Hiroki Midorikawa/ Nami Matsuyama (JPN)</li></ul>

From the Indian perspective, Lakshya facing former world junior bronze medallist Ayush Shetty would mean that only three of the four Indian men’s singles in fray would have a chance to make it to the second round. 

Indian badminton players were handed a tricky draw on the home turf as 2022 champion Lakshya Sen was pitted in an all-Indian battle against the up and coming Ayush Shetty while former world champion PV Sindhu will face Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen in the opening round of the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament to be played at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here from January 13-18. The India Open, one of the most prestigious tournament on the BWF World Tour, will be moving from the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium to a much bigger multi-purpose hall within the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex. The players will also get to understand and test the conditions as this will also be the venue for the BWF World Championships to be held in August later this year. And if the Indian contingent were hoping for a slightly easier opening round, then they were clearly not granted that wish. From the Indian perspective, Lakshya facing former world junior bronze medallist Ayush Shetty would mean that only three of the four Indian men’s singles in fray would have a chance to make it to the second round. And whoever manages to go through in this all-Indian clash is likely to face fourth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei or Kenta Nishimoto of Japan . Among the other Indian singles players, former world no. 1 Kidambi Srikanth will be up against 2024 Taipei’s Thomas Cup bronze medal winning team member and world no. 12 Lin Chun-Yi with a possible second round clash against Christo Popov, who created history last month by becoming the first French player to win the BWF World Tour Finals men’s singles title. H S Prannoy, who got into the main draw after the withdrawal of Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, will open his campaign against last edition finalist Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong. In the women’s singles, former world champion PV Sindhu will be up against Nguyen against whom the Indian had lost both their last two encounters. Nguyen, ranked 22 in the world, is one of the most improved player on the circuit last year and if she manages to get through the Vietnamese then second seed Wang Zhi Yi or her Chinese teammate Gao Fang Jie awaits her in the second round. Malvika Bansod, returning after a long injury break and playing in the tournament with her protected ranking, will face Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei in the opening round. In the doubles category, former champions Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have been handed a relatively easy opener against USA’s Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith. Their first real test may come in the quarter-finals where they could meet Chinese’s eighth seeds Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi. Also Read - Ashes: Ben Stokes sustains groin injury as England look at defeat in Sydney Test Two-time All-England semifinalists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will be up against Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai of Thailand with a possible second round against Chinese seventh seeds Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min. In the other interesting opening round clash, top seed An Se Young will face former world champion Nozomi Okuhara while third seed Akane Yamaguchi will be up against compatriot Riko Gunji. First round opponents of Indian players Men’s singles 2022 winner Lakshya Sen vs Ayush Shetty Kidambi Srikanth vs Lin Chun-Yi (TPE) no 12 part of 2024 Thomas cup bronze winning team HS Prannoy vs Lee Cheuk Yiu (HKG) no 16 last edition finalist Women’s singles Malvika Bansod vs Pai Yu Po (TPE) PV Sindhu vs Thuy Linh Nguyen (VIE) 2-2 has lost both the matches in 2025 Men’s doubles Hariharan Amsakarunan/MR Arjun vs Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (MAS) Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy vs Chen Zhi Yi/Presley Smith (USA) Women’s doubles Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand vs Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn/Sukitta Suwachai (THA) Shruti Mishra/Priya Konjengbam vs Lui Lok Lok/Tsang Hiu Yan (HKG) Rutuparna Panda/Swetparna Panda vs Nanako Hara/Riko Kiyose (JPN) Kavipriya Selvam/Simran Singhi vs 2-Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (MAS) Gayatri Rawat/Mansa Rawat vs 4-Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian (CHN) Mixed Doubles Rohan Kapoor/G Ruthvika Shivani vs Marvin Seidel/Thuc Phuong Nguyen (GER) Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh vs Yuichi Shimogami/Sayaka Hobara (JPN) Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto vs Pakkapon Teeraratsakul/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (THA) Dhruv Rawat/Maneesha K vs Hiroki Midorikawa/ Nami Matsuyama (JPN)

From the Indian perspective, Lakshya facing former world junior bronze medallist Ayush Shetty would mean that only three of the four Indian men’s singles in fray would have a chance to make it to the second round.&nbsp;

India Open 2026: Tricky draw for India’s singles stars as Lakshya-Ayush face-off in opening round

Indian ace shuttler Lakshya Sen finally broke his title drought on Sunday (Nov 23), winning the Australian Open Super 500 in Sydney and picking up his first trophy of 2025. The World No 14 Indian produced a calm and sharp performance in the final, beating Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in straight sets of 21-15, 21-11. For Sen, this win came as a big relief after many close calls this season, including a runner-up finish in Hong Kong. Got it. &nbsp;He controlled the temperament throughout the contest, mixing tight net play with sharp smashes, and his opponent, Tanaka, struggled to keep up as the rallies grew longer. The second game especially showed Sen’s command as he pushed ahead early and never let the lead slip.&nbsp;Sen’s win capped off a strong seven days, during which he had to work hard in almost every round. He survived long matches against Ayush Shetty and former World No. 2 Chou Tien Chen earlier in the tournament. Those battles had drained him, but they also sharpened his rhythm. When he walked out for the final, he looked settled and ready.&nbsp;Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/smriti-mandhana-palash-mucchall-wedding-postponed-amid-medical-emergency-report-1763895986021"> Smriti Mandhana-Palaash Muchhal wedding postponed amid medical emergency, confirms manager</a>&nbsp;The match itself turned out easier than expected. Tanaka struggled from the start, missing smashes, mistiming drops, and losing control in long rallies. The Japanese shuttler has been known as a strong player on the domestic circuit, but his inconsistency showed again. Sen’s plan was simple: keep the shuttle in play, wait for errors, and raise the pace only when needed. Tanaka had one small burst at 15-13 in the first game, but Sen didn’t let it shake him. He won the next few points quickly, closing the game with smart placement. In the second game, the gap widened. Tanaka kept sending shots into the net, and Sen kept building small leads that soon became uncatchable. By the end, it was clear who had controlled the match. Sen wrapped it up in just 38 minutes, one of the shortest finals he has played in recent years. Even though he won’t make it to the World Tour Finals this season, he will return home with confidence and a trophy that he has waited a long time for.

Sen’s win capped off a strong seven days, during which he had to work hard in almost every round. He survived long matches against Ayush Shetty and former World No. 2 Chou Tien Chen earlier in the tournament. Those battles had drained him, but they also sharpened his rhythm. 

Indian ace shuttler Lakshya Sen finally broke his title drought on Sunday (Nov 23), winning the Australian Open Super 500 in Sydney and picking up his first trophy of 2025. The World No 14 Indian produced a calm and sharp performance in the final, beating Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in straight sets of 21-15, 21-11. For Sen, this win came as a big relief after many close calls this season, including a runner-up finish in Hong Kong. Got it. He controlled the temperament throughout the contest, mixing tight net play with sharp smashes, and his opponent, Tanaka, struggled to keep up as the rallies grew longer. The second game especially showed Sen’s command as he pushed ahead early and never let the lead slip. Sen’s win capped off a strong seven days, during which he had to work hard in almost every round. He survived long matches against Ayush Shetty and former World No. 2 Chou Tien Chen earlier in the tournament. Those battles had drained him, but they also sharpened his rhythm. When he walked out for the final, he looked settled and ready. Also read | Smriti Mandhana-Palaash Muchhal wedding postponed amid medical emergency, confirms manager The match itself turned out easier than expected. Tanaka struggled from the start, missing smashes, mistiming drops, and losing control in long rallies. The Japanese shuttler has been known as a strong player on the domestic circuit, but his inconsistency showed again. Sen’s plan was simple: keep the shuttle in play, wait for errors, and raise the pace only when needed. Tanaka had one small burst at 15-13 in the first game, but Sen didn’t let it shake him. He won the next few points quickly, closing the game with smart placement. In the second game, the gap widened. Tanaka kept sending shots into the net, and Sen kept building small leads that soon became uncatchable. By the end, it was clear who had controlled the match. Sen wrapped it up in just 38 minutes, one of the shortest finals he has played in recent years. Even though he won’t make it to the World Tour Finals this season, he will return home with confidence and a trophy that he has waited a long time for.

Sen’s win capped off a strong seven days, during which he had to work hard in almost every round. He survived long matches against Ayush Shetty and former World No. 2 Chou Tien Chen earlier in the tournament. Those battles had drained him, but they also sharpened his rhythm.&nbsp;

Lakshya Sen wins Australian Open Super 500, ends long title drought

Indian ace suttler Lakshya Sen has moved one step closer to a major title on Saturday (Nov 22) after reaching the Australian Open 2025 final with a hard-fought win over world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in Sydney. In a match that swung back and forth for 86 minutes, Lakshya held his nerve, saved three match points and delivered one of his strongest performances of the season to stay in contention for the title.&nbsp;Seeded 14th in the world, Lakshya started the semi-final under pressure as Chou controlled the early rallies and jumped to a 4-0 lead. The Indian struggled to settle and lost the opening game 17-21. But Lakshya has built a reputation for staying calm in tough moments, and that quality showed again when the second game began.&nbsp;Also read | 5 players with most Test wickets for Bangladesh: Shakib not at the top, check who is?&nbsp;Chou opened a 7-4 lead, but Lakshya fought back by changing pace, tightening his defence, and forcing longer rallies. Soon, he levelled the score at 12-12. Even then, the game kept slipping away from him as Chou earned three match points at 20-17. Lakshya refused to give in, saved all three, and turned the game around to take it 24-22. With momentum finally on his side, Lakshya controlled the decider. He attacked early, pushed Chou to the backcourt, and maintained a steady lead. The pressure shifted completely, and Lakshya closed the third game 21-16 to make his second final of the BWF 2025 World Tour. This win also marked Lakshya’s fourth victory over Chou Tien Chen in eight meetings. Earlier this year, he had beaten the same opponent in a tight semi-final at the Hong Kong Open. Lakshya is now the only Indian still alive in the tournament. He reached the semis by defeating fellow Indian Ayush Shetty in the quarter-final. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, meanwhile, bowed out after losing their men’s doubles quarter-final on Friday. Lakshya will now face either world No. 12 Chou Yi Lin of Chinese Taipei or Japan’s Yushi Tanaka, ranked 26th, in Sunday’s &nbsp;(Nov 23) final.

Seeded 14th in the world, Lakshya started the semi-final under pressure as Chou controlled the early rallies and jumped to a 4-0 lead. The Indian struggled to settle and lost the opening game 17-21.

Indian ace suttler Lakshya Sen has moved one step closer to a major title on Saturday (Nov 22) after reaching the Australian Open 2025 final with a hard-fought win over world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in Sydney. In a match that swung back and forth for 86 minutes, Lakshya held his nerve, saved three match points and delivered one of his strongest performances of the season to stay in contention for the title. Seeded 14th in the world, Lakshya started the semi-final under pressure as Chou controlled the early rallies and jumped to a 4-0 lead. The Indian struggled to settle and lost the opening game 17-21. But Lakshya has built a reputation for staying calm in tough moments, and that quality showed again when the second game began. Also read | 5 players with most Test wickets for Bangladesh: Shakib not at the top, check who is? Chou opened a 7-4 lead, but Lakshya fought back by changing pace, tightening his defence, and forcing longer rallies. Soon, he levelled the score at 12-12. Even then, the game kept slipping away from him as Chou earned three match points at 20-17. Lakshya refused to give in, saved all three, and turned the game around to take it 24-22. With momentum finally on his side, Lakshya controlled the decider. He attacked early, pushed Chou to the backcourt, and maintained a steady lead. The pressure shifted completely, and Lakshya closed the third game 21-16 to make his second final of the BWF 2025 World Tour. This win also marked Lakshya’s fourth victory over Chou Tien Chen in eight meetings. Earlier this year, he had beaten the same opponent in a tight semi-final at the Hong Kong Open. Lakshya is now the only Indian still alive in the tournament. He reached the semis by defeating fellow Indian Ayush Shetty in the quarter-final. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, meanwhile, bowed out after losing their men’s doubles quarter-final on Friday. Lakshya will now face either world No. 12 Chou Yi Lin of Chinese Taipei or Japan’s Yushi Tanaka, ranked 26th, in Sunday’s (Nov 23) final.

Seeded 14th in the world, Lakshya started the semi-final under pressure as Chou controlled the early rallies and jumped to a 4-0 lead. The Indian struggled to settle and lost the opening game 17-21.

Lakshya Sen saves three match points, reaches Australian Open 2025 final

India's HS Prannoy progressed to the Round of 32 in the men's singles category at the ongoing BWF World Championships 2025 on Tuesday (August 26). Prannoy, 33, battled past Finland's Joakim Oldorff in a tough test, beating him 21-18, 21-15 in a match that lasted 47 minutes. World no. 34 Prannoy was put to the test early by 47th-ranked German Denis Daniel Oldorff, aged 22.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-world-no-1-heena-sidhu-on-shooting-league-of-india-finally-we-are-getting-what-we-deserve-1756216222699">Former world no. 1 Heena Sidhu on Shooting League of India: 'Finally, we are getting what we deserve'</a>&nbsp;Finn came out blazing, leading 7-5 with deft footwork and precise shot placement. But Prannoy remained unflustered, bringing himself level at 8-8 and slowly wresting advantage. He was ahead 14-11 at the mid-game break, and though Oldorff managed to bring the game to 17-all, Prannoy edged ahead with three successive points to seal the first game 21-18 in 24 minutes of gruelling action. Oldorff once more displayed resistance in the second game, coming back to tie 8-8 from 4-7 down. Prannoy regained dominance, though, by going 11-8 up at the interval and holding a consistent lead to win the match 21-15.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nfl-tommy-devito-waived-new-york-giants-qb-fails-to-make-cut-ahead-2025-season-1756215409698">Tommy DeVito waived: New York Giants QB fails to make cut ahead of upcoming NFL season</a>&nbsp;Meanwhile, in the women's singles category, PV Sindhu also advanced to the Round of 32 following a 23-21, 21-6 victory over Bulgaria's Kaloyan Nalbantova in 39 minutes. The two Olympic medalist demonstrated her tenacity in the first game, which was well-fought. Having been tied 21-all, Sindhu steadied her nerves to gain the upper hand and win the opener. The 2019 World Champion went on to command the second game, beating Nalbantova with ruthless accuracy to claim a 15-point win. Sindhu, having a full collection of World Championships medals — one gold, two silvers, and two bronzes — is India's best hope for a medal in Paris. She will play Malaysia's Karupathevan Leshata in the next round.

BWF World Championship: Indian shuttlers HS Prannoy, Sindhu advance to next round

India's HS Prannoy progressed to the Round of 32 in the men's singles category at the ongoing BWF World Championships 2025 on Tuesday (August 26). Prannoy, 33, battled past Finland's Joakim Oldorff in a tough test, beating him 21-18, 21-15 in a match that lasted 47 minutes. World no. 34 Prannoy was put to the test early by 47th-ranked German Denis Daniel Oldorff, aged 22. Also Read: Former world no. 1 Heena Sidhu on Shooting League of India: 'Finally, we are getting what we deserve' Finn came out blazing, leading 7-5 with deft footwork and precise shot placement. But Prannoy remained unflustered, bringing himself level at 8-8 and slowly wresting advantage. He was ahead 14-11 at the mid-game break, and though Oldorff managed to bring the game to 17-all, Prannoy edged ahead with three successive points to seal the first game 21-18 in 24 minutes of gruelling action. Oldorff once more displayed resistance in the second game, coming back to tie 8-8 from 4-7 down. Prannoy regained dominance, though, by going 11-8 up at the interval and holding a consistent lead to win the match 21-15. Also Read: Tommy DeVito waived: New York Giants QB fails to make cut ahead of upcoming NFL season Meanwhile, in the women's singles category, PV Sindhu also advanced to the Round of 32 following a 23-21, 21-6 victory over Bulgaria's Kaloyan Nalbantova in 39 minutes. The two Olympic medalist demonstrated her tenacity in the first game, which was well-fought. Having been tied 21-all, Sindhu steadied her nerves to gain the upper hand and win the opener. The 2019 World Champion went on to command the second game, beating Nalbantova with ruthless accuracy to claim a 15-point win. Sindhu, having a full collection of World Championships medals — one gold, two silvers, and two bronzes — is India's best hope for a medal in Paris. She will play Malaysia's Karupathevan Leshata in the next round.

On Monday (August 25), Lakshya Sen's disappointing run continued as he was knocked out in the opening round. He was playing world no. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China

Lakshya Sen’s poor run continued on Monday as the Indian shuttler lost in straight sets against World No.1 and reigning All-England champion Shi Yu Qi of China in the BWF World Championship. Sen’s campaign lasted a total of 54 minutes as he succumbed to a 17-21, 19-21 defeat, bringing an end to another disappointing campaign at the tournament, after having previously won the bronze medal in 2021.&nbsp;After a tightly-contested match saw the scores tied at 11-11 in the opening game, Shi Yu, who is unbeaten in nine finals this season, took things in his grip and went on to secure a 21-17 win. The Chinese shuttler flew out of the floodgates in the second game and was leading 14-9 at one stage, but a tough fightback by the 24-year-old Indian saw him crawl back before he gave up points while making unforced errors, eventually facing defeat.&nbsp;For Sen, the World Championships at the Adidas Arena in the French capital trigger mixed emotions. It was here, a year ago, that, within sight of a career-defining opportunity, he faltered in the Olympic Games. First, against Viktor Axelsen in the semifinals, and then in the bronze medal playoff against Lee Zii Jia – both matches in which he was playing sublime badminton before inexplicably losing momentum.&nbsp;For the young Indian shuttler, the Paris Olympics were the high point, and he hasn’t been the same player since. Results at the higher tier of the BWF World Tour have stalled. His best performances have been at the Super 300 level – he won the Syed Modi International late last year and was in the semifinals of the Macau Open earlier this month. At the upper end of the World Tour, a quarterfinal at the All England aside, he has struggled to cross the early rounds of nine tournaments this year. India's hopes in the men's singles now rest on H.S. Prannoy, who will start his campaign against Joakim Oldorff of Finland in the first round on Tuesday. If he wins the first round, Prannoy is scheduled to play second seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark in the second.

BWF World Championship: Lakshya Sen makes early exit with a straight-game defeat

Lakshya Sen’s poor run continued on Monday as the Indian shuttler lost in straight sets against World No.1 and reigning All-England champion Shi Yu Qi of China in the BWF World Championship. Sen’s campaign lasted a total of 54 minutes as he succumbed to a 17-21, 19-21 defeat, bringing an end to another disappointing campaign at the tournament, after having previously won the bronze medal in 2021. After a tightly-contested match saw the scores tied at 11-11 in the opening game, Shi Yu, who is unbeaten in nine finals this season, took things in his grip and went on to secure a 21-17 win. The Chinese shuttler flew out of the floodgates in the second game and was leading 14-9 at one stage, but a tough fightback by the 24-year-old Indian saw him crawl back before he gave up points while making unforced errors, eventually facing defeat. For Sen, the World Championships at the Adidas Arena in the French capital trigger mixed emotions. It was here, a year ago, that, within sight of a career-defining opportunity, he faltered in the Olympic Games. First, against Viktor Axelsen in the semifinals, and then in the bronze medal playoff against Lee Zii Jia – both matches in which he was playing sublime badminton before inexplicably losing momentum. For the young Indian shuttler, the Paris Olympics were the high point, and he hasn’t been the same player since. Results at the higher tier of the BWF World Tour have stalled. His best performances have been at the Super 300 level – he won the Syed Modi International late last year and was in the semifinals of the Macau Open earlier this month. At the upper end of the World Tour, a quarterfinal at the All England aside, he has struggled to cross the early rounds of nine tournaments this year. India's hopes in the men's singles now rest on H.S. Prannoy, who will start his campaign against Joakim Oldorff of Finland in the first round on Tuesday. If he wins the first round, Prannoy is scheduled to play second seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark in the second.

For Sen, the World Championships at the Adidas Arena in the French capital trigger mixed emotions. It was here, a year ago, that, within sight of a career-defining opportunity, he faltered in the Olympic Games

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Tuesday (April 15) announced a 14-member India squad, which includes world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pv-sindhu">PV Sindhu</a>, World Championships&rsquo; medalists <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lakshya-sen">Lakshya Sen</a>, HS Prannoy, and the doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, for the upcoming BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025, to be played in Xiamen, China from April 27-May 4.
However, the women's doubles pair of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gayatri-gopichand">Gayatri Gopichand</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/treesa-jolly">Treesa Jolly</a> will miss out due to injury. It has been learnt that both Treesa and Gayatri, currently ranked 10th in the world, are recuperating from shoulder issues attributed to a packed schedule last year.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-vinod-kambli-set-to-earn-350-per-month-all-thanks-to-this-former-india-cricketer-details-inside-8964750">Vinod Kambli set to earn $350 per month, all thanks to THIS former India cricketer. KNOW WHO</a>
India qualified for the prestigious mixed team championships based on their world ranking and will be eyeing to first seal their knock-out berth from a tough Group D line-up that also includes former champions Indonesia, two-time runners-up Denmark, and the formidable England.
<h2>'Confident of winning a medal'</h2>
&ldquo;The selectors have picked the best possible combination in all the five categories despite some injury worries. We are no longer dependent on one or two disciplines to win the tie and that makes us a formidable force in any team event. We are confident that the team will not only make its mark in the group stages but can go on to create history by winning a medal,&rdquo; said Hon. General Secretary, Sanjay Mishra. &nbsp; Team morale is high following a strong showing at the recently concluded Badminton Asia Championships, where PV Sindhu gained valuable match practice, while the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto impressed by reaching the quarterfinals. &nbsp; Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy, both known for delivering strong performances in team events, will bring invaluable experience to the team. Meanwhile, the World No. 10 men&rsquo;s doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will return to action after an injury break, supported by the backup pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi. &nbsp; Former national champion Anupama Upadhayaya, ranked 45th in the world, will be the second women&rsquo;s singles player in the squad. Additionally, the young pairing of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra is also in the mix after injuries ruled out India&rsquo;s top-ranked women&rsquo;s doubles combination of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly. &nbsp; India squad for Sudirman Cup: Men: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan, Ruban Kumar R, Dhruv Kapila, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran;&nbsp;Women: PV Sindhu, Anupama Upadhyaya, Tanisha Crasto, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra and Aadya Variyath.
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Sports: India qualified for the mixed team championships based on their world ranking and will be eyeing to first seal their knock-out berth from a tough Group D

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Tuesday (April 15) announced a 14-member India squad, which includes world champion PV Sindhu, World Championships’ medalists Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, and the doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, for the upcoming BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025, to be played in Xiamen, China from April 27-May 4. However, the women's doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly will miss out due to injury. It has been learnt that both Treesa and Gayatri, currently ranked 10th in the world, are recuperating from shoulder issues attributed to a packed schedule last year. Also Read: Vinod Kambli set to earn $350 per month, all thanks to THIS former India cricketer. KNOW WHO India qualified for the prestigious mixed team championships based on their world ranking and will be eyeing to first seal their knock-out berth from a tough Group D line-up that also includes former champions Indonesia, two-time runners-up Denmark, and the formidable England. 'Confident of winning a medal' “The selectors have picked the best possible combination in all the five categories despite some injury worries. We are no longer dependent on one or two disciplines to win the tie and that makes us a formidable force in any team event. We are confident that the team will not only make its mark in the group stages but can go on to create history by winning a medal,” said Hon. General Secretary, Sanjay Mishra. Team morale is high following a strong showing at the recently concluded Badminton Asia Championships, where PV Sindhu gained valuable match practice, while the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto impressed by reaching the quarterfinals. Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy, both known for delivering strong performances in team events, will bring invaluable experience to the team. Meanwhile, the World No. 10 men’s doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will return to action after an injury break, supported by the backup pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi. Former national champion Anupama Upadhayaya, ranked 45th in the world, will be the second women’s singles player in the squad. Additionally, the young pairing of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra is also in the mix after injuries ruled out India’s top-ranked women’s doubles combination of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly. India squad for Sudirman Cup: Men: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan, Ruban Kumar R, Dhruv Kapila, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran; Women: PV Sindhu, Anupama Upadhyaya, Tanisha Crasto, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra and Aadya Variyath.

Sudirman Cup Finals: Gayatri-Treesa pair misses out due to injury; Sindhu, Sen to lead India

Two-time Olympic Games medallist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pv-sindhu">PV Sindhu</a> kicked off her campaign in the Badminton Asia Championships 2025 with a commanding 2-0 win over Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo of Indonesia in a first-round clash here on Wednesday (April 9).
Sindhu, who had lost to Julie Dawall Jakobsen of Denmark in the first round of the Swiss Open in her last outing, won the match 21-15, 21-19 in 44 minutes. Ranked 17th in the BWF World Rankings, Sindhu took a 4-1 lead in the first game but the Indonesian player fought back to make it 6-5. Sindhu won three points straight but then Ester levelled it at 9-9. From thereon, Sindhu took control of the game and went on to win the first game with a score of 21-15.
The second game was more competitive and the two players went neck-and-neck, trading leads a couple of times before Sindhu took a 15-12 lead. The Indonesian, ranked 36th in the World, fought back to close the gap to 17-18 and then caught up with the Indian star at 19-19. Sindhu then won the next three points to seal win.
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Now, Sindhu will play third seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the next round. Sindhu holds a 14-11 advantage in the head-to-head over the Japanese shuttler.
Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lakshya-sen">Lakshya Sen</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/hs-prannoy">HS Prannoy</a> were knocked out while Kiran George won his men's singles match as India continued to experience mixed fortunes on Day 2. Priyanshu Rajawa too advanced to the Round of 16 beating Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand 20-22, 21-12, 21-10.
Lakshya lost a close first game in an 18-21, 10-21 defeat to Lee Chai-Hao of Chinese Taipei in a first-round match.
The first game was quite close and Lakshya made a good start, taking an 8-3 lead. Lee, however, fought back to level scores at 8-8 and then surged ahead 10-8. Lakshya eventually caught up with his rival at 16-16. However, the Chinese Taipei player could not be denied as he six points in a row to seal the first game. He opened a 6-2 lead in the second game before extending it to 15-5, eventually going on to win the game, winning eight consecutive points.
Prannoy lost to Lu Guang Zu of China 16-21, 21-12, 11-21 in a Round of 32 clash.&nbsp;Kiran George kept the Indian hopes in men's singles as he defeated Dmitry Panarin of Kazakhstan in straight games, winning 21-16, 21-8 in a Round of 32 clash. He will next face third seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the next round.
<h2>Aakarshi, Malavika and Anupama ousted</h2>
In women's singles, Aakarshi Kashyap, Malavika Bansod and Anupama Upadhyaya made their exits from the women's singles section leaving PV Sindhu as the only Indian female player remaining in the draw.
Akarshi lost 21-13,21-7 to second seed Yue Han of China while Malavika Bansod went down to Gao Fang Jie of China 14-21, 8-21. Anupama Upadhyaya also exited the tournament with a 13-21 14-21 defeat to former World Champion and eighth seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand.
In men's doubles, India's Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K of India lost to Hsiang Chiah Chiu of Chinese Taiepi 19-21, 12-41 while Hariharan and Ruban Kumar defeated SriLanak's Madhuka Dulanjana and Lahiru Weebasinghe. In mixed doubles, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh of India defeated Thulith Palliyaguru and Panchali Adhikari 9-21,11-13. Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde 21-18, 17-21, 17-21.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: Sindhu, who had lost to Julie Dawall Jakobsen of Denmark in the first round of the Swiss Open in her last outing, won the match 21-15, 21-19 in 44 minutes

Two-time Olympic Games medallist PV Sindhu kicked off her campaign in the Badminton Asia Championships 2025 with a commanding 2-0 win over Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo of Indonesia in a first-round clash here on Wednesday (April 9). Sindhu, who had lost to Julie Dawall Jakobsen of Denmark in the first round of the Swiss Open in her last outing, won the match 21-15, 21-19 in 44 minutes. Ranked 17th in the BWF World Rankings, Sindhu took a 4-1 lead in the first game but the Indonesian player fought back to make it 6-5. Sindhu won three points straight but then Ester levelled it at 9-9. From thereon, Sindhu took control of the game and went on to win the first game with a score of 21-15. The second game was more competitive and the two players went neck-and-neck, trading leads a couple of times before Sindhu took a 15-12 lead. The Indonesian, ranked 36th in the World, fought back to close the gap to 17-18 and then caught up with the Indian star at 19-19. Sindhu then won the next three points to seal win. Also Read: Monte Carlo Masters: Carlos Alcaraz recovers from sluggish start to move into last 16 Now, Sindhu will play third seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the next round. Sindhu holds a 14-11 advantage in the head-to-head over the Japanese shuttler. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy were knocked out while Kiran George won his men's singles match as India continued to experience mixed fortunes on Day 2. Priyanshu Rajawa too advanced to the Round of 16 beating Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand 20-22, 21-12, 21-10. Lakshya lost a close first game in an 18-21, 10-21 defeat to Lee Chai-Hao of Chinese Taipei in a first-round match. The first game was quite close and Lakshya made a good start, taking an 8-3 lead. Lee, however, fought back to level scores at 8-8 and then surged ahead 10-8. Lakshya eventually caught up with his rival at 16-16. However, the Chinese Taipei player could not be denied as he six points in a row to seal the first game. He opened a 6-2 lead in the second game before extending it to 15-5, eventually going on to win the game, winning eight consecutive points. Prannoy lost to Lu Guang Zu of China 16-21, 21-12, 11-21 in a Round of 32 clash. Kiran George kept the Indian hopes in men's singles as he defeated Dmitry Panarin of Kazakhstan in straight games, winning 21-16, 21-8 in a Round of 32 clash. He will next face third seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the next round. Aakarshi, Malavika and Anupama ousted In women's singles, Aakarshi Kashyap, Malavika Bansod and Anupama Upadhyaya made their exits from the women's singles section leaving PV Sindhu as the only Indian female player remaining in the draw. Akarshi lost 21-13,21-7 to second seed Yue Han of China while Malavika Bansod went down to Gao Fang Jie of China 14-21, 8-21. Anupama Upadhyaya also exited the tournament with a 13-21 14-21 defeat to former World Champion and eighth seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand. In men's doubles, India's Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K of India lost to Hsiang Chiah Chiu of Chinese Taiepi 19-21, 12-41 while Hariharan and Ruban Kumar defeated SriLanak's Madhuka Dulanjana and Lahiru Weebasinghe. In mixed doubles, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh of India defeated Thulith Palliyaguru and Panchali Adhikari 9-21,11-13. Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde 21-18, 17-21, 17-21. (With inputs from agencies)

Badminton Asia Championships: PV Sindhu advances; Prannoy, Lakshya knocked out in first round

India&rsquo;s Dhruv Kapila and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/tanisha-crasto">Tanisha Crasto</a> kicked off their Badminton Asia Championships 2025 campaign with a thrilling comeback win to seal a spot in the pre-quarterfinals in Ningbo, People&rsquo;s Republic of China, on Tuesday.
Taking on Malaysia&rsquo;s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, the Indian pair bounced back after dropping the opening game to clinch a 15-21, 21-12, 21-11 victory in just 51 minutes. Ranked 18th in the world, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/dhruv-kapila">Dhruv</a> and Tanisha raised their level in the second game and carried that momentum into the decider, dominating the world No. 14 Malaysian duo with ease.
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Soon after, another Indian pair&mdash;Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh&mdash;followed suit, storming into the round of 16 with a clinical 21-9, 21-11 win over Sri Lanka&rsquo;s Thulith Palliyaguru and Panchali Adhikari. Their first-round encounter lasted just 20 minutes.
<h2>Tough day for mixed doubles</h2>
However, it wasn&rsquo;t all smooth sailing for India in the mixed doubles draw. Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath put up a strong fight but couldn&rsquo;t overcome the world No. 3 Malaysian duo of Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai, falling 21-18, 21-19 in straight games.
In another hard-fought clash, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde went down in three games against Malaysia&rsquo;s Yap Roy King and Valeree Siow. After winning the opening game, the Indian duo couldn&rsquo;t hold on and lost 18-21, 21-17, 21-17.
India&rsquo;s singles stars, two-time Olympic medallist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pv-sindhu">PV Sindhu</a> and Commonwealth Games champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lakshya-sen">Lakshya Sen</a>, are set to begin their campaigns on Wednesday.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: Ranked 18th in the world, Dhruv-Tanisha raised their level in second game and carried that momentum into the decider, dominating the world No. 14 Malaysian duo

India’s Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto kicked off their Badminton Asia Championships 2025 campaign with a thrilling comeback win to seal a spot in the pre-quarterfinals in Ningbo, People’s Republic of China, on Tuesday. Taking on Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, the Indian pair bounced back after dropping the opening game to clinch a 15-21, 21-12, 21-11 victory in just 51 minutes. Ranked 18th in the world, Dhruv and Tanisha raised their level in the second game and carried that momentum into the decider, dominating the world No. 14 Malaysian duo with ease. Also Read: IPL 2025: In high scoring contest, LSG hold their nerves to beat KKR by four runs Soon after, another Indian pair—Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh—followed suit, storming into the round of 16 with a clinical 21-9, 21-11 win over Sri Lanka’s Thulith Palliyaguru and Panchali Adhikari. Their first-round encounter lasted just 20 minutes. Tough day for mixed doubles However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for India in the mixed doubles draw. Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath put up a strong fight but couldn’t overcome the world No. 3 Malaysian duo of Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai, falling 21-18, 21-19 in straight games. In another hard-fought clash, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde went down in three games against Malaysia’s Yap Roy King and Valeree Siow. After winning the opening game, the Indian duo couldn’t hold on and lost 18-21, 21-17, 21-17. India’s singles stars, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen, are set to begin their campaigns on Wednesday. (With inputs from agencies)

Badminton Asia Championships: Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto keep India's hopes alive in mixed doubles

Indian shuttler and Commonwealth Games champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lakshya-sen">Lakshya Sen</a> bowed out of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/all-england-open">All England Open</a> 2025 after a quarter-final defeat in the men's singles event in Birmingham on Friday (March 14).
Ranked 15th in the world, Lakshya Sen lost 21-10, 21-16 to reigning Asian Games champion and world No. 6 Shi Feng Li of China. Sen started strong, leading 4-3 in the opening exchanges, but Shi Feng Li seized momentum with a nine-point streak, taking control of the game. Lakshya could only manage six more points in the first game as Shi Feng Li wrapped it up comfortably.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/vintage-sachin-kallis-backfoot-and-watsons-heroics-tino-best-relives-imls-most-epic-moments-8854748">Vintage Sachin, Kallis' backfoot and Watson&rsquo;s heroics: Tino Best relives IML&rsquo;s most epic moments</a>
Sen made a brief resurgence in the second game, leading 11-8 at the mid-game interval. However, Shi Feng Li shifted gears after the break, securing win in 45 minutes. This was Sen's third loss in seven encounters against the Chinese shuttler. The Indian had previously reached the semi-finals of the tournament in 2024 and finished as the runner-up in 2022.
<h2 data-start="596" data-end="959">Treesa-Gayatri duo bow out</h2>
In the women's doubles category, the Indian duo of Treesa Jolly and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gayatri-gopichand">Gayatri Gopichand</a> suffered a 21-14, 21-10 loss in the quarter-finals against world No. 2 pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China. The Indian pair fought back early to trail by just a point at the mid-game break in the first game, but Liu and Tan dominated thereafter, conceding only four more points to seal the opener. The second game was one-sided, with the Chinese pair controlling proceedings from start to finish, clinching the match in 46 minutes.
Earlier in the tournament, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu crashed out in the first round of the women's singles event on Wednesday. Meanwhile, world No. 28 Malvika Bansod and the men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy exited the competition on Thursday. Shetty and Rankireddy were forced to retire from their round-of-16 match after Chirag Shetty suffered a back muscle strain.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: This was Sen's third loss in seven matches against the Chinese shuttler. Lakshya previously reached the semi-finals of tournament in 2024 & finished as runner-up in 2022

Indian shuttler and Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen bowed out of the All England Open 2025 after a quarter-final defeat in the men's singles event in Birmingham on Friday (March 14). Ranked 15th in the world, Lakshya Sen lost 21-10, 21-16 to reigning Asian Games champion and world No. 6 Shi Feng Li of China. Sen started strong, leading 4-3 in the opening exchanges, but Shi Feng Li seized momentum with a nine-point streak, taking control of the game. Lakshya could only manage six more points in the first game as Shi Feng Li wrapped it up comfortably. Also Read: Vintage Sachin, Kallis' backfoot and Watson’s heroics: Tino Best relives IML’s most epic moments Sen made a brief resurgence in the second game, leading 11-8 at the mid-game interval. However, Shi Feng Li shifted gears after the break, securing win in 45 minutes. This was Sen's third loss in seven encounters against the Chinese shuttler. The Indian had previously reached the semi-finals of the tournament in 2024 and finished as the runner-up in 2022. Treesa-Gayatri duo bow out In the women's doubles category, the Indian duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand suffered a 21-14, 21-10 loss in the quarter-finals against world No. 2 pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China. The Indian pair fought back early to trail by just a point at the mid-game break in the first game, but Liu and Tan dominated thereafter, conceding only four more points to seal the opener. The second game was one-sided, with the Chinese pair controlling proceedings from start to finish, clinching the match in 46 minutes. Earlier in the tournament, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu crashed out in the first round of the women's singles event on Wednesday. Meanwhile, world No. 28 Malvika Bansod and the men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy exited the competition on Thursday. Shetty and Rankireddy were forced to retire from their round-of-16 match after Chirag Shetty suffered a back muscle strain. (With inputs from agencies)

All England Open Badminton Championships: Lakshya Sen crashes out after losing his quarter-final match

Two-time Olympic medallist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pv-sindhu">PV Sindhu</a> suffered a disappointing first-round exit from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/all-england-open-badminton-championships">All-England Badminton Championship 2025</a>, falling to South Korea&rsquo;s Kim Ga-eun in Birmingham on Wednesday (March 12). Despite a strong start, the World No. 16 succumbed to a 21-19, 13-21, 13-21 defeat, extending her struggles at this prestigious Super 1000 tournament.
Sindhu started well, dominating the first game and surging to a 19-12 lead. However, Kim staged a remarkable comeback, saving seven game points before Sindhu finally closed it at 21-19. Letting out a roar of relief, Sindhu looked set to build on her momentum.
What followed, however, was a dramatic shift in control. Kim dictated the rallies in the next two games, capitalising on Sindhu&rsquo;s lack of rhythm and movement. The Indian, playing with visible taping on her right knee, struggled to counter Kim&rsquo;s precise cross-court placements and sharp net play.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/icc-stands-for-the-indian-cricket-board-legendary-wi-bowler-andy-roberts-tears-apart-apex-body-8847730">'ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board': Legendary WI bowler Andy Roberts tears apart apex body</a>
Kim carried her second-game momentum into the decider, racing to a 7-2 lead. Though Sindhu fought back to close the gap, Kim&rsquo;s superior movement and angled returns kept her in control. The Korean secured victory in just over an hour, marking Sindhu&rsquo;s fourth consecutive early exit at the All-England Open since her semifinal run in 2021.
This defeat continues Sindhu&rsquo;s inconsistent run in 2025, following a quarterfinal finish at the India Open and a first-round loss at the Indonesia Masters. She had withdrawn from the Asia Mixed Team Championships due to a hamstring injury and was making her return at this event under her new Indonesian coach, Irwansyah Adi Pratama.
<h2>Mixed day for Indian shuttlers</h2>
India had a mixed day at the tournament. Malvika Bansod stunned World No. 12 Yeo Jia Min in the first round and will now face third seed Akane Yamaguchi. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lakshya-sen">Lakshya Sen</a>, a former finalist, battled past Taiwan&rsquo;s Su Li Yang to reach the second round.
Meanwhile, the Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde displayed immense grit to secure a thrilling 21-10, 17-21, 24-22 victory over Chinese Taipei&rsquo;s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan. The World No. 40 pair dominated the first game, but their opponents forced a decider. In a tense third game, Kapoor and Ruthvika held their nerves to close out the match and set up a second-round clash against fifth-seeded Chinese duo Yan Zhe Feng and Ya Xin Wei.
However, H.S. Prannoy crashed out in the first round, losing to France&rsquo;s Toma Junior Popov in straight games. The mixed doubles team of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath also suffered a first-round defeat to China&rsquo;s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui (6-21, 15-21).
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: This defeat continues Sindhu’s inconsistent run in 2025, following a quarterfinal finish at the India Open and a first-round loss at the Indonesia Masters

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu suffered a disappointing first-round exit from the All-England Badminton Championship 2025, falling to South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun in Birmingham on Wednesday (March 12). Despite a strong start, the World No. 16 succumbed to a 21-19, 13-21, 13-21 defeat, extending her struggles at this prestigious Super 1000 tournament. Sindhu started well, dominating the first game and surging to a 19-12 lead. However, Kim staged a remarkable comeback, saving seven game points before Sindhu finally closed it at 21-19. Letting out a roar of relief, Sindhu looked set to build on her momentum. What followed, however, was a dramatic shift in control. Kim dictated the rallies in the next two games, capitalising on Sindhu’s lack of rhythm and movement. The Indian, playing with visible taping on her right knee, struggled to counter Kim’s precise cross-court placements and sharp net play. Also Read: 'ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board': Legendary WI bowler Andy Roberts tears apart apex body Kim carried her second-game momentum into the decider, racing to a 7-2 lead. Though Sindhu fought back to close the gap, Kim’s superior movement and angled returns kept her in control. The Korean secured victory in just over an hour, marking Sindhu’s fourth consecutive early exit at the All-England Open since her semifinal run in 2021. This defeat continues Sindhu’s inconsistent run in 2025, following a quarterfinal finish at the India Open and a first-round loss at the Indonesia Masters. She had withdrawn from the Asia Mixed Team Championships due to a hamstring injury and was making her return at this event under her new Indonesian coach, Irwansyah Adi Pratama. Mixed day for Indian shuttlers India had a mixed day at the tournament. Malvika Bansod stunned World No. 12 Yeo Jia Min in the first round and will now face third seed Akane Yamaguchi. Lakshya Sen, a former finalist, battled past Taiwan’s Su Li Yang to reach the second round. Meanwhile, the Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde displayed immense grit to secure a thrilling 21-10, 17-21, 24-22 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan. The World No. 40 pair dominated the first game, but their opponents forced a decider. In a tense third game, Kapoor and Ruthvika held their nerves to close out the match and set up a second-round clash against fifth-seeded Chinese duo Yan Zhe Feng and Ya Xin Wei. However, H.S. Prannoy crashed out in the first round, losing to France’s Toma Junior Popov in straight games. The mixed doubles team of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath also suffered a first-round defeat to China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui (6-21, 15-21). (With inputs from agencies)

All England Open Badminton Championships: PV Sindhu suffers first-round exit, Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Gadde advance

India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lakshya-sen">Lakshya Sen</a> staged a remarkable comeback to secure a second-round spot at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/all-england-open">All England Championships</a> on Tuesday (March 11), while compatriot HS Prannoy suffered an early exit in the men's singles competition.
World No. 15 Lakshya fought back from a game down to defeat Chinese Taipei&rsquo;s world No. 37, SU Li Yang, with a hard-fought 13-21, 21-17, 21-15 victory in the opening round of the prestigious Super 1000 event. The 23-year-old from Almora will now take on Indonesia&rsquo;s third seed, Jonatan Christie, whom he had defeated during his fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics last year.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/vanessa-low-leaping-beyond-limits-one-record-at-a-time-8843989">Vanessa Low: Leaping beyond limits, one record at a time</a>
Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/hs-prannoy">HS Prannoy</a>, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships and Asian Games, fell short against France&rsquo;s Toma Junior Popov. Despite a 53-minute battle, the world No. 29 Indian lost 19-21, 16-21 to the 17th-ranked Frenchman. Prannoy had his chances in the first game, leading 6-1 and later 15-12, but Popov turned the contest around with a strong finish. In the second game, Prannoy fought back from 9-13 to level at 13-13, but Popov&rsquo;s aggressive play saw him close out the match convincingly.
<h2 data-start="595" data-end="1100">Satish-Aadya lose</h2>
In the mixed doubles category, the Indian pair of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath faced a tough challenge against China&rsquo;s world No. 7 duo, Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui. The Indian team lost 6-21, 15-21 in a 51-minute encounter.
Lakshya&rsquo;s match was an intense contest, with the Indian bouncing back in the second game after a tight battle until 17-17. He capitalized on three crucial errors from Yang to clinch four consecutive points and force a decider. In the third game, Lakshya led 11-9 at the interval. Though Yang fought back to level at 15-15, Lakshya displayed composure and dominance, securing the last six points with a combination of powerful returns, a body smash, and unforced errors from his opponent.
On Wednesday, two-time Olympic medallist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pv-sindhu">PV Sindhu</a> and world No. 1 men&rsquo;s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will begin their campaign.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports: Lakshya fought back from a game down to defeat Chinese Taipei’s SU Li Yang, with a hard-fought 13-21, 21-17, 21-15 win  in the opening round

India's Lakshya Sen staged a remarkable comeback to secure a second-round spot at the All England Championships on Tuesday (March 11), while compatriot HS Prannoy suffered an early exit in the men's singles competition. World No. 15 Lakshya fought back from a game down to defeat Chinese Taipei’s world No. 37, SU Li Yang, with a hard-fought 13-21, 21-17, 21-15 victory in the opening round of the prestigious Super 1000 event. The 23-year-old from Almora will now take on Indonesia’s third seed, Jonatan Christie, whom he had defeated during his fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics last year. Also Read: Vanessa Low: Leaping beyond limits, one record at a time Meanwhile, HS Prannoy, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships and Asian Games, fell short against France’s Toma Junior Popov. Despite a 53-minute battle, the world No. 29 Indian lost 19-21, 16-21 to the 17th-ranked Frenchman. Prannoy had his chances in the first game, leading 6-1 and later 15-12, but Popov turned the contest around with a strong finish. In the second game, Prannoy fought back from 9-13 to level at 13-13, but Popov’s aggressive play saw him close out the match convincingly. Satish-Aadya lose In the mixed doubles category, the Indian pair of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath faced a tough challenge against China’s world No. 7 duo, Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui. The Indian team lost 6-21, 15-21 in a 51-minute encounter. Lakshya’s match was an intense contest, with the Indian bouncing back in the second game after a tight battle until 17-17. He capitalized on three crucial errors from Yang to clinch four consecutive points and force a decider. In the third game, Lakshya led 11-9 at the interval. Though Yang fought back to level at 15-15, Lakshya displayed composure and dominance, securing the last six points with a combination of powerful returns, a body smash, and unforced errors from his opponent. On Wednesday, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and world No. 1 men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will begin their campaign. (With inputs from agencies)

All England Open Badminton Championships: Lakshya advances, Prannoy ousted

The Supreme Court issued a notice in a Special Leave Petition filed by Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen, challenging the Karnataka High Court's order rejecting his plea to quash an investigation into the allegation of fabricating birth certificates. Watch in for more details!

Lakshya Sen age fraud case: All you need to know

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