Perfect host: On India as host of the 2026 BWF World Championships
The 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi are highlighted as a successful event that showcased India as a capable host and France as a rising badminton power. The tournament saw notable performances from international athletes and a resurgence in Indian badminton results.
Why it matters
It reflects on India's growing capacity to host major international sporting events and the shifting competitive landscape in global badminton.
The 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi marked the rise of France as an on-court force and of India as a capable host. Alex Lanier’s triumph in singles, and Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue’s in mixed doubles, were the first golds in France’s history. It was just over three months ago that the European nation finished a worthy runner-up to China in the Thomas Cup, the de facto World Cup in badminton. The Worlds success has established France as a serious contender in a sport otherwise dominated by Asian countries. In fact, Lanier is just the third non-Asian this century — after Spain’s Carolina Marin and Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen — to win the singles gold at the World Championships.
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