PV Sindhu has been seeded ninth in the women’s singles event, while the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have received the fifth seed for the 2026 BWF World Championships, set to be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi from August 17 to 23.
India will field two entries in each of the five categories at the tournament, with at least one seeded player or pair in four of them.
Apart from Sindhu and the former Asian Games champions Satwik and Chirag, Lakshya Sen has been seeded 14th in the men’s singles draw. The mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto will enter the championships as the 15th seeds.
Shi Yuqi and An Se Young lead singles seedings
Qualification for the World Championships was determined using the BWF world rankings published on April 28, while the tournament seedings were based on the rankings as of July 28.
Reigning men’s singles world champion Shi Yuqi of China has been named the top seed, while South Korea’s An Se Young heads the women’s singles field.
Defending women’s singles world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan is seeded second, followed by China’s Wang Zhiyi and Chen Yufei in third and fourth, respectively.
In the doubles events, South Korea’s Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae top the men’s doubles seedings. China’s Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning are the top seeds in women’s doubles, while compatriots Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping lead the mixed doubles field.
The official draw for the World Championships will be conducted in New Delhi on Wednesday. The seedings could change if any seeded players or pairs withdraw before the draw is finalised.
The tournament will mark the first time New Delhi hosts the BWF World Championships since 2009, with India’s leading shuttlers aiming for a strong showing on home soil.
