BWF World Championships 2026: Lanier and An Se-young Win Singles Titles
Why in the news
The 30th BWF World Championships, held in New Delhi from August 17 to 23, 2026, ended with France’s Alex Lanier and South Korea’s An Se-young taking the singles crowns.
Key facts
- Men’s singles: Alex Lanier (France, 9th seed), aged 21, beat Japan’s Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11, becoming France’s first men’s singles world champion.
- Women’s singles: top seed An Se-young beat Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 21-17, 21-14 for a second world title after Copenhagen 2023.
- India: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won bronze in women’s doubles.
- Venue: Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.
All finals
| Event | Winner(s) | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s singles | Alex Lanier (FRA) | Kodai Naraoka (JPN) |
| Women’s singles | An Se-young (KOR) | Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) |
| Men’s doubles | Liang Wei Keng / Wang Chang (CHN) | Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik (MAS) |
| Women’s doubles | Baek Ha Na / Lee So Hee (KOR) | Liu Sheng Shu / Tan Ning (CHN) |
| Mixed doubles | Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue (FRA) | Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping (CHN) |
About the event
The BWF World Championships is badminton’s world title event, run by the Badminton World Federation. China kept alive its record of winning at least one title every year since 1983.
Exam angle
- Sports sections often ask host city and winners: New Delhi, Lanier, An Se-young.
- First French men’s singles champion and first French mixed doubles gold are likely fact questions.
- Lee So Hee became the oldest women’s doubles world champion, aged 32 years 70 days.