India, Aug. 21 -- It took 17 years for the BWF World Championships to return to India, and the Badminton Association of India (BAI) left no stone unturned to make the comeback a spectacle for fans and an impressive experience for players. Badminton has strengthened its hold in India over the past decade, with the likes of PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty making their presence felt on the global stage with consistent performances. It was thus, perhaps, the perfect time for the BAI and BWF to bring the World Championships back to India.

But it also came with its own challenges. The last major event hosted by New Delhi was the India Open earlier this year, which faced scrutiny over a few things that did not ...