BWF World C’ship 2026: The rare club of junior and senior world champions | Other Sports News

The BWF Badminton World Championships 2026, to be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi from August 17 to 23, will bring together the world’s finest shuttlers in pursuit of badminton’s most coveted individual title.

While Olympic champions, world No. 1 players and established stars will dominate the spotlight, a select group of players will arrive with an achievement that sets them apart from the rest. Long before conquering the senior circuit, they had already announced themselves as the best junior players in the world.

Making the transition from junior champion to senior world champion is one of the toughest feats in badminton, and only a handful of players have managed to complete that journey.

Akane Yamaguchi, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Ratchanok Intanon, Liu Shengshu and Dechapol Puavaranukroh all turned early promise into World Championship glory. As they return to New Delhi, the five former junior champions will be chasing another world title while looking to further strengthen their legacies on badminton’s biggest stage.

Five players who won both junior and senior world championships:

Akane Yamaguchi (Japan): From junior prodigy to three-time world champion

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  World Junior titles: 2013, 2014 (women’s singles)
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  Senior World titles: 2021, 2022, 2025

Akane Yamaguchi’s rise began with back-to-back women’s singles titles at the BWF World Junior Championships, making her the first Japanese player to achieve the feat. Soon after, she became the youngest-ever winner of a BWF Super Series title at the age of 16, signalling the arrival of one of Japan’s finest shuttlers.

Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand): The junior king who conquered the senior stage

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  World Junior titles: 2017, 2018, 2019 (men’s singles)
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  Senior World titles: 2023

Kunlavut Vitidsarn rewrote the record books by becoming the only men’s singles player to win three consecutive BWF World Junior Championships titles, establishing himself as one of the brightest talents in the sport.

The Thai star has carried that promise into the senior ranks. He became Thailand’s first men’s singles world champion in 2023, claimed the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, won the 2025 Asian Championships title and became the first Thai men’s singles player to reach world No. 1. Still in his mid-20s, Kunlavut will be among the leading contenders in New Delhi.

Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand): The teenage sensation who fulfilled her promise

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  World Junior titles: 2009, 2010, 2011 (women’s singles)
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  Senior World titles: 2013

Before Kunlavut made history, Ratchanok Intanon had already shown Thailand the path to badminton greatness.

The Thai star won three successive World Junior Championships titles and earned a reputation as one of the sport’s brightest teenage talents, thanks to her effortless strokeplay and creative shot-making.

She made an equally seamless transition to the senior circuit, becoming the youngest-ever women’s singles world champion in 2013 at just 18 years of age. Intanon later climbed to world No. 1, won multiple BWF World Tour titles and represented Thailand at four Olympic Games, cementing her place among the game’s most accomplished players.

Liu Shengshu (China): Doubles specialist making a rapid rise

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  World Junior titles: 2022 (women’s doubles and mixed doubles)
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  Senior World titles: 2025 (women’s doubles)

Liu Shengshu enjoyed a memorable BWF World Junior Championships campaign in 2022, winning gold medals in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles to showcase her versatility.

Her rise at the senior level has been equally impressive. Partnering with Tan Ning, Liu won the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games before capturing the women’s doubles title at the 2025 BWF World Championships. The pair have quickly established themselves among the world’s strongest combinations and will once again be among the favourites in New Delhi.

Dechapol Puavaranukroh (Thailand): Reinventing himself as a world champion

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  World Junior titles: 2014 (men’s doubles)
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  Senior World titles: 2021 (mixed doubles)

Dechapol Puavaranukroh’s journey to the top took an unconventional route.

After winning the World Junior title in men’s doubles, the Thai shuttler switched his focus to mixed doubles, where he found his greatest success. Partnering with Sapsiree Taerattanachai, he won the 2021 BWF World Championships, reached world No. 1 and collected several BWF World Tour titles.

At the BWF World Championships 2026, Dechapol returns with Supissara Paewsampran and will be aiming to add another world title to his impressive résumé.

From junior promise to badminton’s biggest stage

Winning a World Junior Championship is often seen as a glimpse of future greatness, but only a handful of players manage to translate that promise into senior World Championship success.

Akane Yamaguchi, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Ratchanok Intanon, Liu Shengshu and Dechapol Puavaranukroh have all achieved that rare feat. As the BWF World Championships 2026 gets under way in New Delhi, the five former junior champions will once again be chasing badminton’s ultimate prize.