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With less than 48 hours left for the BWF World Championships 2026 to kick off, the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium is all decked up to witness world badminton's biggest extravaganza, and the venue has already got a thumbs-up from the Chinese contingent, who trained there on Saturday along with all other top teams.
The BWF World Championships are returning to Indian shores after a gap of 17 years, with the world's best players looking forward to getting their hands on the coveted title, according to a press release. Unlike the India Open, where competition usually starts on Tuesday, World Championships action begins on Monday, with the matches in the top half of men's and women's singles draws taking place on the opening day. "I think the stadium has changed a lot, that's very good. I just finished my training, I feel like there was a little bit of wind on the court, so we need to get used to the conditions," said Chinese world No 3 Wang Zhi Yi, who is likely to face former world champion PV Sindhu in the pre-quarterfinals. The players who practised at the main hall on Saturday mentioned that there was a slight side drift on all the courts and their focus was to understand the conditions and make adjustments. The players had expressed a few concerns about the stadium during the India Open earlier this year, which was treated as a test event for the World Championships. The Badminton Association of India and the Sports Authority of India, which owns the stadium, got into action soon after and over Rs 20 crore was spent on refurbishing the venue. Apart from Wang Zhi Yi, Chinese hopes of ending their 15-year gold medal drought in women's singles will rest on 2020 Olympic gold medallist Chen Yufei and world number 5 Han Yue. Speaking after the team practice, Chen said, "The conditions are quite good compared to the last time we played here. I am getting used to the weather, but apart from that, I am just focused on giving my best in the tournament." Badminton Association of India has also set up a players' lounge with round-the-clock food availability and even a sanitary pad machine for women players. (ANI)
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