Guwahati, Aug 24: Badminton fans in Guwahati can look forward to a major sporting spectacle when the city hosts the 2028 India Open.
Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary general Sanjay Mishra announced that the tournament would be shifted from its traditional venue in New Delhi for one year due to scheduling constraints arising from Republic Day security arrangements in the national capital.
“The 2028 India Open will be held in the last week of January and due to the tournament dates clashing with Republic Day security arrangements in the National Capital, we felt that only for that year, we should shift the tournament to Guwahati. It will return to New Delhi in 2029,” Mishra said in a statement.
The announcement came after the conclusion of the BWF World Championships 2026, which was hosted at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi and marked the return of badminton’s flagship global event to India after a gap of 17 years.
The final day of the championships witnessed several milestones, with France emerging as one of the biggest success stories of the tournament.
Mixed doubles pair Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue clinched France’s first-ever gold medal at the World Championships, defeating China’s top-seeded combination Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping 22-20, 19-21, 21-15 in a thrilling final.
France added a second gold later in the day when Alex Lanier dominated Japan’s Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 to win the men’s singles title.
The achievement made France only the second European nation to secure more than one gold medal at a single edition of the World Championships.
In the women’s singles event, South Korea’s An Se Young captured her second world title, further cementing her status as one of the sport’s leading players.
The successful hosting of the championships in New Delhi was hailed by Assam Chief Minister and BAI President Himanta Biswa Sarma, who described the event as a proud moment for Indian badminton.
“After a hiatus of 17 years, the World Badminton Championships returned to the country, where extremely talented shuttlers from across the globe battled it out for the prestigious titles,” Sarma said in a social media post.
He noted that the BAI and the organising committee had spent months preparing for the event, including revamping the arena, enhancing spectator facilities and prioritising player comfort to ensure a seamless tournament experience.
“Today, as the Championship comes to a close, I congratulate all the players for their stupendous performance and appreciate the efforts of the Organising Committee in delivering a smooth event. India looks forward to welcoming all back again soon,” he added.
The decision to bring the 2028 India Open to Guwahati is expected to provide a major boost to badminton in the Northeast and further strengthen Assam’s growing profile as a host of national and international sporting events.