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BWF World Tour Super: With the BWF World Championships starting on Monday in the French capital, India’s star shuttlers are all geared up to shoulder the huge responsibility of continuing the medal streak at the mega event, which dates back to 2011.

Since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa’s historic bronze that year, India has won 14 medals at the World Championships, featuring on the podium at every edition. But the 2025 event poses a stern test, with injuries and poor form affecting key players.

The 2021 bronze medallist Lakshya Sen will face a strong challenge in his opening round as he runs into top seed Shi Yu Qi of China, who has won three BWF World Tour Super 1000 titles this season. Their last meeting was at the Indonesia Open in June, where Lakshya’s performance was excellent for most of the match but he couldn’t get past the line in a three-game thriller.