PV Sindhu on badminton’s evolution as India prepares for home Worlds

P.V. Sindhu’s journey in badminton spans an era of visible change for the sport in India. She was only 14 when the BWF World Championships were last hosted in the country, in Hyderabad. Years later, after building one of India’s most recognisable international careers and winning the World Championships gold in 2019, Sindhu says she has had a front-row view of how the sport has evolved—on court and off it.

With the World Championships set to return to India, her reflections offer a calm, encouraging picture of a sport that has matured steadily: more players dreaming bigger, more structured preparation, and a clearer understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level.

From a teenager in the stands to a champion on the world stage Sindhu’s memory of the last time India hosted the World Championships is not just a personal milestone—it is also a marker of how far Indian badminton has come. Watching elite players up close as a teenager can shape ambition, and in Sindhu’s case it helped nurture a long-term belief that the biggest titles were within reach.

That belief eventually translated into results that inspired a generation. Her 2019 World Championships gold—India’s first in the tournament—remains a defining achievement, not only because of the medal but because of the message it sent: Indian players can lead the field at the sport’s most prestigious events.

As the Championships return to Indian soil, the symbolism is hard to miss. The teenager who once observed the world’s best now returns as a standard-bearer of modern Indian badminton, with the experience to put progress into perspective.

Better infrastructure, clearer intent, stronger support Sindhu’s core point is simple: badminton has evolved in India in terms of infrastructure and intent. The sport today benefits from more organised pathways—training centres, competitions, and support structures that help athletes build consistency rather than rely on isolated peaks.

Infrastructure is not only about courts and arenas. It includes the everyday ecosystem that enables players to train seriously: access to coaching, competitive sparring, better planning around tournaments, and more professional routines. Sindhu’s comments reflect the view that such improvements have helped raise overall standards and expectations.

Equally important is the “intent” she speaks about—an attitude shift that is now visible across Indian badminton. Young players increasingly approach the sport as a high-performance career from an early stage, and the system is gradually adapting to that ambition.

Hosting a global event also tends to sharpen focus for the entire community: athletes, coaches, administrators and fans. Home tournaments bring visibility, create role models, and make world-level badminton feel closer and more achievable for junior players.

A home World Championships as a springboard for the next wave A World Championships at home is more than a sporting spectacle; it is an opportunity for India’s badminton ecosystem to learn, upgrade and inspire. For players, it can mean the motivation of competing in familiar conditions and in front of local supporters. For the sport’s development, it can mean a broader spotlight on training standards, event management, and fan engagement.

Sindhu’s career shows the long arc of sporting progress—how a formative experience as a teenager can eventually become a landmark achievement on the global stage. Her reflections, coming before a home edition of the World Championships, underline a hopeful theme: Indian badminton has not only produced champions, but also built a stronger base to produce more.

**Why it matters:** A home World Championships can energise grassroots participation, strengthen high-performance systems, and help India turn long-term sporting ambition into sustained results—an encouraging sign for athletes and fans alike.