PV Sindhu Advances in Badminton World Championships in New Delhi

PV Sindhu, the Indian badminton star and two-time Olympic medallist, has made a strong start in the 2026 Badminton World Championships held in New Delhi. In her opening match, Sindhu showcased her skill and determination by defeating Ireland's Sophia Noble in straight games, with scores of 21-7 and 21-11.

The current ninth seed in the tournament, Sindhu is vying for a historic sixth medal at the World Championships. She has previously earned two bronze medals, two silver medals, and one gold medal, which she secured in 2019. If she progresses to the semifinals in the ongoing event, Sindhu will become the first player in the competition's history to achieve six medals, a feat matched only by two other players.

Despite being less-fancied, Noble initially put up some resistance, particularly in the second game. However, Sindhu's experience proved to be decisive, as she maintained control of the match after leading 11-2 at the first break in the first game. She eventually wrapped up the contest in just 29 minutes, emerging as a dominant force on the court.

Looking ahead, Sindhu is set to face Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang in the next round, who advanced by defeating Bulgaria's Stefani Stoeva in her opening match.

In women’s doubles, Indian Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also enjoyed success, winning against the Spanish pair of Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez with a score of 21-9 and 21-13.

Furthermore, in the men’s doubles, Indian duo Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun progressed to the second round after their opponents Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds retired during the match, which was in favour of the Indian pair at 21-16, 6-4.

The star men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, seeded fifth, have received a bye into the second round, where they will meet Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle. With many significant matches occurring, the tournament promises to deliver thrilling badminton action as the days unfold.