PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen get challenging draws in BWF World Championships 2025

New Delhi [India], August 13 (ANI): Indian shuttler PV Sindhu will lock horns with Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova, whereas Lakshya Sen will play Shi Yuqi of China in their respective round one matches of the BWF World Championships 2025, which will take place later this month.
Organised by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the BWF World Championships is the most prestigious badminton competition held annually, barring the Olympic years, as per Olympics.com.
It offers the most badminton world ranking points along with the Olympics and crowns the senior world champions of a particular calendar year.
The draws for the Badminton World Championships 2025, scheduled to be held in Paris between August 25 and 31, were announced on Wednesday.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, 15th in the women's singles rankings, is the sole Indian in the women's section and will face world No. 66 and two-time European junior champion Kaloyana Nalbantova of Bulgaria in her opening round match.
Sindhu is a former world champion, having won the women's singles title in 2019.
The Indian badminton player also finished runner-up in the two years preceding her world title and bagged bronze medals in 2013 and 2014.
Sindhu, however, has struggled for form in the 2025 season. Her best run on the BWF World Tour this year was a quarter-final finish at the Indian Open back in January.
Lakshya Sen, 21st in the men's singles badminton rankings, was handed a tough opening round draw against world No. 1 Shi Yuqi of the People's Republic of China.
A semi-finalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Lahshya won a bronze medal at the 2021 badminton world championships in Huelva.
The other Indian in the men's singles draw, world No. 34 HS Prannoy, will take on world Joakim Oldorff of Finland. HS Prannoy is a world championships bronze medallist from 2023, as per Olympics.com.
India's top doubles duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received an opening round bye, while Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruben Kumar will meet the Chinese Taipei pair Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Han.
The winner of the match between Hariharan Amsakarunan-Ruben Kumar and Liu Kuang Heng-Yang Po Han will face Satwik-Chirag in the second round.
Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were the first Indian pair to win a medal in the men's doubles event at the badminton world championships after settling for a bronze in Tokyo back in 2022.
The women's doubles draw pitted Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda against Bulgaria's Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva, while Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra will face French duo Margot Lambert and Camille Pognante in the first round.
World No. 17 Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto received an opening-round bye in the mixed doubles section.
India's other entry in the mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde, will take on Ng Weng Chi and Leong Iok Chong of Macau, China.
India won a total of 14 medals - one gold, four silver and nine bronze in the BWF World Championships in the past.
Prakash Padukone won India's first medal in the BWF World Championships in 1983 when he bagged bronze.
BWF World Championships 2025 draw for Indian shuttlers:
Men's singles:
Lakshya Sen vs Shi Yuqi (CHN).
HS Prannoy vs Joakim Oldorff (FIN).
Women's singles:
PV Sindhu vs Kaloyana Nalbantova (BUL).
Men's doubles:
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty - Bye (1st round).
Hariharan Amsakarunan / Ruben Kumar vs Liu Kuang Heng / Yang Po Han (TPE).
Women's doubles:
Rutaparna Panda / Swetaparna Panda vs Gabriela Stoeva / Stefani Stoeva (BUL).
Priya Konjengbam / Shruti Mishra vs Margot Lambert / Camille Pognante (FRA).
Mixed doubles:
Dhruv Kapila / Tanisha Crasto - Bye (1st round).
Rohan Kapoor / Ruthvika Gadde vs Ng Weng Chi / Leong Iok Chong (MAC). (ANI)