New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) India got off the mark at the BWF World Championships on home soil as M R Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan progressed to the men’s doubles Round of 32 after Ireland’s Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds were forced to retire from their opening-round contest on Monday.
The Indian pair were in control for much of the match at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium and took the opening game 21-16. They carried that momentum into the second, moving 6-4 ahead before the Irish combination was unable to continue because of an injury.
It brought an early end to what had begun as a competitive opening game. Guildea and Reynolds managed to stay within touching distance of the Indians through the first game, but Arjun and Amsakarunan were composed when the rallies mattered and converted their opportunities to establish the advantage.
The second game, however, barely had time to develop. The Indians opened up a lead before the Irish pair’s injury forced the match to be stopped, handing India its first victory of the championships.
For Arjun and Amsakarunan, the result also provides a positive start to India’s campaign at a World Championships being staged in the country for the first time since 2009.
The 2026 edition is being held at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from August 17 to 23, bringing the global badminton event back to India after a 17-year gap.
The Indian duo will now wait for their next opponents as they look to build on their opening-day victory.
There is plenty more Indian interest on the opening day. Five-time World Championships medallist PV Sindhu is scheduled to begin her women’s singles campaign against Ireland’s Sophia Noble, with the Indian star chasing an unprecedented sixth medal at the event.
Ayush Shetty, meanwhile, faces arguably the biggest test of India’s opening day. The Indian men’s singles player takes on top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China. Shetty has faced the Chinese star three times previously and is yet to register a victory against him.
Before Sindhu, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will take on Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez. Another women’s doubles encounter will wait later in the day as Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi face Spain’s Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez.
With Sindhu and Shetty still to take the court, India’s opening day has already begun with a win, albeit one cut short by injury, as Arjun and Amsakarunan move into the next stage of the home World Championships.
–IANS
vi/bc
