Shuttlers face tough challenge at All England

Indian shuttlers will face one of their toughest challenges when they aim to capture the elusive All England Championships beginning here on Tuesday. Since Prakash Padukone’s historic win in 1980 and Pullela Gopichand’s triumph in 2001, no Indian has managed to capture the coveted All England title.

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In the past two decades, Indian badminton has soared to new heights, with stars like PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth claiming major titles. However, none have been able to conquer the All England Championships.

Saina and Lakshya Sen came close in 2015 and 2022, finishing as runner-up, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand reached the women’s doubles semifinals in consecutive editions.

This year, the challenge will be even greater as India’s top shuttlers arrive with a host of difficulties. After a disappointing Paris Olympics, the Indian shuttlers struggled to get off the mark in 2025. Sindhu faced injury woes, HS Prannoy made a slow recovery from a bout of chikungunya, Sen has battled poor form and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy is coping with the loss of his father who died last month.