New Delhi: Fifty days from now, the world’s best badminton players will enter New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi (IG) Indoor Stadium for the BWF World Championships from August 17-23, returning to Indian soil for the first time since Hyderabad hosted the event in 2009. For the country’s badminton, this is much more than just another major tournament. It is a celebration of a remarkable journey.Seventeen years ago, when Hyderabad staged the Worlds, Indian badminton largely revolved around one name – Saina Nehwal. Olympic medals were still a dream, world titles seemed distant and a 14-year-old PV Sindhu he was quietly training at the Pullela Gopichand academy.Few could have predicted the transformation that followed.The breakthrough came in 2011 when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in the women’s doubles, ending India’s 28-year wait for a world medal. It was a result that changed perceptions and signaled the arrival of a new force in world badminton.Then come the stages in rapid succession. Saina became India’s first world silver medalist and the country’s first women’s world No.1. Sindhu lifted Indian badminton to another level, winning five medals at the world level before creating history in Basel in 2019 as the nation’s first world champion.But India’s rise was no more than one or two stars.Kidambi Srikanth reached world number 1, Lakshya Sen claimed world bronze, HS Prannoy joined the podium in 2023, while Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty emerged as one of the world’s leading male doubles pairs. The crowning moment came in 2022 when India lifted the Thomas Cup, becoming only the sixth nation to win the prestigious title.The numbers tell the story of this transformation: since 2011, India has won 14 World medals and finished on the podium in every edition until 2025 – an extraordinary 11 medal editions.For Sindhu, the return of the World to India carries a special meaning. “Some of my most memorable moments and proudest achievements have come on this stage,” he told TOI. “Hosting the World after 17 years is a landmark moment and a reflection of how far sport has come in our country.”Sen believes that competing at home brings a different energy. “Indian badminton has grown tremendously over the years and hosting the Worlds after 17 years is a proud moment for all those associated with the sport,” he told this publication. For young Ayush Shetty, preparing to make his World debut, the occasion is a dream come true. “Growing up, the Worlds was one of the tournaments I always looked forward to watching. Like every young badminton player, I dreamed of one day earning the chance to compete on that stage. To make my debut at the Worlds, and to do it when India hosts the event after 17 years, is incredibly special,” he said.Ponnappa, who featured in the 2009 edition and later became part of India’s historic bronze medal haul in 2011, sees the event as a reflection of the evolution of the sport. “Badminton in India has grown by leaps and bounds since then. It’s a massive opportunity for our players and a special occasion for fans to watch the world’s best competition at home,” he said.Prannoy, who vividly remembers watching the stars of the game in Hyderabad in 2009, hopes New Delhi will inspire another generation. “I’m sure that this year’s Worlds will give young players the same incredible experience and will make many dream of taking up this sport,” he said.FROM THE NUMBERS— 14World Championships medals won by India (2011–2025)— 11Consecutive editions with at least one Indian medal (2011-2025)— 1World ChampionPV Sindhu (2019) – India’s first and only world champion.— 3No. 1 of the Indian worldSaina Nehwal (Women’s Singles)Kidambi Srikanth (Male Singles)Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (Men’s Doubles)— 2011A landmark year for Indian badmintonJwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in the women’s doubles, ending India’s 28-year wait for a World Championship medal.— 18 YEARS OLDSindhu became India’s youngest World Championship medalist(Bronze, 2013)— 31 YEARSHS Prannoy became the oldest World Championship medalist for the first time in India(Bronze, 2023)–17 YEARS OLDThe World Championships are returning to India after a 17-year waitFrom Hyderabad 2009 to New Delhi 2026