Indian Women's Doubles Team Shines at BWF World Championships 2026

Indian Duo Triumphs in Opening Match

New Delhi, August 17: The Indian women's doubles team of Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi kicked off their BWF World Championships 2026 journey with a convincing win against Spain's Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Monday.

The Indian pair secured their victory with scores of 22-20, 21-14 in the women's doubles Round of 64, advancing to the next round of the tournament hosted in India.

The first game was tightly contested, with both teams struggling to gain a significant lead. However, the Indian duo maintained their composure in the crucial moments, narrowly winning the first game 22-20.

In the second game, Kavipriya and Simran found their rhythm, taking control and capitalizing on their chances to finish the match 21-14.

Next, they are set to face the Bulgarian sisters Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva in the Round of 32 on Tuesday.

This victory marked a successful start for India, as all five home entries won their respective opening matches at the World Championships.

Earlier, in men's doubles, MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan progressed after their opponents from Ireland, Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds, retired due to injury. The Indian pair had won the first game 21-16 and were leading 6-4 in the second when the Irish team had to withdraw. They will next compete against South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju.

Additionally, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced by defeating Spain's Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez with a score of 21-9, 21-9. They will meet Americans Lauren Lam and Allison Lee in the next round.

PV Sindhu also had a strong start in her women's singles match, winning 21-7, 21-11 against Ireland's Sophia Noble, and will face Canada's Wen Yu Zhang next.

The standout performance came from Ayush Shetty, who achieved a remarkable upset by defeating top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China with scores of 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in the men's singles Round of 64.

The 2026 World Championships are taking place in New Delhi from August 17 to 23, marking the event's return to India after a gap of 17 years.