PV Sindhu vs Ayush Shetty (Photos by PTI)

NEW DELHI: At 21, Ayush Shetty has already added multiple feathers to his cap. He won a bronze medal in the boys’ singles event at the 2023 World Junior Championships. Earlier this year, he became the first Indian men’s singles shuttler to win a silver medal at the Asian Championships.The Karkala, Karnataka-born shuttler was denied the gold medal by Shi Yuqi. The 30-year-old Chinese world No. 1 secured a comfortable 21-8, 21-10 victory in the final in Ningbo, China.That defeat extended Shetty’s winless record against Yuqi to 0-3, with the other losses coming at the 2026 Malaysia Open and the 2025 Indonesia Masters.Shetty, who was also part of India’s bronze medal-winning team at the 2026 Thomas Cup, will have an opportunity to avenge those defeats when he faces Yuqi in the first round of the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, which begin on August 17.It will be a daunting challenge against the defending world champion and the top seed in the men’s singles draw.“I think it is a tough draw. But I would say it is an equal draw in some sense because I think Shi Yuqi in the first round is better than him in the later rounds. And Lakshya (Sen) beat him at the All England (Open) in the first round in a very similar setting. With his big smash, I think Ayush is definitely going to be quite a threat. And I am hopeful that he pulls that out to win,” said chief national coach of the Indian team, Pulella Gopichand.As the draw for the World Championships was conducted on Wednesday, Lakshya Sen found himself paired against Collins Valentine Filimon of Austria, and five-time medallist PV Sindhu will go up against Sophia Noble of Ireland.If Sen wins his first and second rounds, he could face the 2023 champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, in the third.“I think that quarter (of the half) seems to be a lot tougher. There’s Christo Popov and Alex Lanier. So that is a little tough. But the men’s singles is a lot tougher. There are quite a few names in the men’s singles who are tough.“And all of them have won tournaments at some point of time. But depending on their form, I think that is what is going to decide. But Lakshya has the capability. And it is going to be some exciting badminton for sure,” continued Gopichand.

Sindhu eyes unprecedented sixth medal

Two-time Olympic medallist and ninth seed PV Sindhu won the gold medal in 2019, having previously claimed two silver medals and two bronze medals at the World Championships.If she is one for superstitions, being an unheralded seed has worked in her favour. All her medals have come when she has not been the top seed at the prestigious event.Placed in the top half of the draw, she could face third seed Wang Zhi Yi in the Round of 16, sixth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani in the quarter-finals, before a potential blockbuster semi-final against top seed An Se Young.But Sindhu and her coaching team would rather keep a match-by-match approach than shift focus to what lies ahead.Fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in men’s doubles, and 15th seeds Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto in mixed doubles, received first-round byes. As per the 64-pair doubles draw, all seeded pairs receive a bye in the opening round of the competition.India have two pairs in the women’s doubles field, with unseeded Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand leading the expectations.The World Championships have returned to India after a 17-year gap. The last time India hosted the World Championships was at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad in 2009.

India first-round matches at the 2026 BWF World Championships:

Men’s singles

Women’s singles

Men’s doubles

Women’s doubles

Mixed doubles