India, Aug. 16 -- As the BWF World Tour approaches its most prestigious week, nostalgia hangs over the courts at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

The badminton World Championships starting from Monday will mark the twilight of an era. When the champions are crowned on August 23, it will be the last time the tournament will be played in the traditional 3x21 scoring system. Starting in January, the sport will transition to a faster 3x15 format.

Since 2006, the 21-point system has defined badminton, rewarding tactical adjustments and endurance. The new mandate is a sprint - best of three games, 15 points each. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) argues that this will shorten matches and increase intensity. "More consistent match ...