India enjoyed another productive day at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, with Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda among the Indian shuttlers advancing to the next round on Day 3.
The home contingent also received a major boost from the women’s doubles pairing of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who continued their impressive campaign.
The World Championships are being staged at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from August 17 to 23, marking the tournament’s return to India after 17 years.
Lakshya Sen Stages Stunning Comeback
Lakshya Sen fought back brilliantly after losing the opening game 16-21 to Austria’s Collins Filimon.
Locked at 7-7 in the second, Sen found his rhythm and dominated the rest of the match, winning the next two games 21-8, 21-4 to seal a remarkable comeback victory and enter the second round.
Unnati Hooda Continues Winning Debut
Young Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda also advanced on Day 3, continuing her impressive run at her maiden World Championships.
Hooda entered the tournament as one of India’s promising young women’s singles players and made a winning start in New Delhi.
Her victory adds to the growing list of encouraging performances from India’s next generation at the home World Championships.
The 18-year-old is one of four Indian debutants at this year’s championships, alongside Ayush Shetty, Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam.
Her progress is particularly significant considering that only PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen had previously won World Championships medals on their debuts for India.
Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Continue Strong Run
India’s women’s doubles challenge also received a boost from Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
The Indian pair, who have been one of the country’s leading women’s doubles combinations in recent years, registered another victory to move deeper into the tournament.
Treesa and Gayatri have established themselves as India’s leading women’s doubles pair, having previously reached a career-high world ranking of No. 9.
Their continued progress is important for India’s medal hopes, particularly with the home crowd providing additional support at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
India Suffer Three Heartbreaking Defeats
India also endured a few setbacks on Day 3. Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi bowed out of the women’s doubles after losing 7-21, 14-21 to Bulgaria’s Stoeva sisters.
In mixed doubles, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh suffered a dramatic 21-16, 29-30, 22-24 defeat against Turkey’s Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas, while Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde went down 22-20, 19-21, 17-21 to Canada’s Jonathan Lai and Crystal Lai.
With the tournament entering its crucial knockout stages, India’s campaign is beginning to gather momentum.
Lakshya’s remarkable comeback was particularly encouraging after he appeared uncomfortable during the opening game.
His ability to adjust tactically, improve his defence and exploit Filimon’s movement ultimately turned a difficult contest into a comprehensive victory.
For Unnati, meanwhile, every win represents valuable experience at the biggest stage of her young career.
With the home crowd behind them, India’s singles stars and doubles combinations will now look to carry the momentum into the next rounds as the 2026 BWF World Championships approach the crucial phase.