India opened its campaign at the BWF World Championships on home soil with M R Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan advancing 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 took the opening game 21-16 and moved 6-4 ahead in the second before the Irish combination was unable to continue due to an injury, bringing the match to an early end.
Arjun and Amsakarunan were in control for much of the opening game, although Guildea and Reynolds stayed within touching distance. The Indians remained composed in the crucial rallies and converted their chances to take the lead.
The second game barely had time to develop before the injury forced the Irish pair to retire, handing India its first victory of the championships.
The result gives Arjun and Amsakarunan a positive start at a World Championships being staged in India 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 tournament back to the country after a 17-year gap.
The Indian duo will now await their next opponents as they look to build on their opening-day win.
There is plenty more Indian interest on the opening day. Five-time World Championships medallist PV Sindhu is set to begin her women’s singles campaign against Ireland’s Sophia Noble, with the Indian star chasing a record sixth medal at the event.
Ayush Shetty, meanwhile, faces top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China in the men’s singles. Shetty has faced the Chinese star three times and is yet to beat him.
Earlier, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will take on Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez, while Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi face Spain’s Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez later in the day.
With Sindhu and Shetty still to take the court, India’s campaign has already begun with a win, albeit one cut short by injury, as Arjun and Amsakarunan move into the next round of the home World Championships.