The prestigious BWF World Championships 2026, hosted at the iconic Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi, moves into an exhilarating third day of competition on August 19, 2026. India’s prominent badminton stars, headlined by double Olympic medalist P. V. Sindhu and commonwealth medalist Lakshya Sen, prepare to take center stage. As the tournament progresses past the opening rounds into the fiercely competitive round of thirty-two, local fans gather in large numbers to support the national contingent as they vie for places in the pre-quarterfinals.
Key Singles Encounters on Day 3
The afternoon and evening sessions feature high stakes for India’s singles contenders across multiple courts. In the men’s singles division, fourteenth-seeded Lakshya Sen enters the court to face American shuttler Garret Tan on Court 1, with proceedings estimated around 4:30 p.m. Following closely on the same court around 5:20 p.m., twenty-one-year-old Ayush Shetty takes on Sri Lanka’s Dumindu Abeywickrama, looking to build upon his incredible tournament momentum.
Meanwhile, the women’s singles draw highlights prominent veterans and emerging talents alike. Eighteen-year-old tournament debutant Unnati Hooda faces thirteenth-seeded Canadian shuttler Michelle Li on Court 3, scheduled not before 2:10 p.m. Later in the evening session on Court 1, ninth-seeded P. V. Sindhu locks horns with Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang, with her match estimated to begin at 6:10 p.m. as she aims for another deep run at the world championships.
Doubles Contenders Begin Their Campaigns
Day 3 also marks the highly anticipated opening appearances for India’s elite doubles pairings. In the men’s doubles round of thirty-two, the combination of M.R. Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan meets fifteenth-seeded Korean duo Kang Min Hyuk and Ki Dong Ju on Court 3 at approximately 2:10 p.m. Later in the evening at 7:00 p.m. on Court 1, fifth-seeded Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty commence their championship quest against Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle. Additionally, the mixed doubles pair of fifteenth-seeded Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto kick off the morning action against Leong Iok Chong and Ng Weng Chi representing Macao, China, starting around 10:40 a.m. on Court 1.
Recap of Opening Round Highlights and Upsets
Action leading up to the third day has already provided incredible drama and historic moments for Indian badminton. The standout headline of the opening rounds belonged to twenty-one-year-old Ayush Shetty, who delivered a massive upset by stunning world number one and defending champion Shi Yu Qi with a scoreline of 21-14, 13-21, 21-19.
Other notable developments across the draws include comfortable progression for international stars such as Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie and Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, alongside India’s Lakshya Sen. In women’s singles, former world champion P. V. Sindhu cruised past Sophia Noble, while young sensation Unnati Hooda secured her opening victory to set up her encounter with Michelle Li. Within the doubles categories, the women’s pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced smoothly into the pre-quarterfinals. However, the tournament has also witnessed heartbreak, with three Indian combinations, comprising two mixed doubles and one women’s doubles pair, bowing out following closely contested opening matches.
How to watch?
Fans in India can watch the Live telecast on Sports18and live streaming on JioHotstar, meanwhile worldwide it is live streaming on BWF TV (YouTube).
