French and Korean badminton stars capture historic global crowns.

French badminton star Alex Lanier made history at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium by securing his country's first-ever men's singles crown at the BWF World Championships 2026. The 21-year-old athlete completely dominated Japan's Kodai Naraoka, finishing the match in a swift 50 minutes with back-to-back 21-11, 21-11 victories. This breakthrough victory marks a major shift in global badminton power dynamics, which have traditionally been dominated by Asian nations.

French Dominance Takes Center Stage

France celebrated multiple historic wins during this final day of competition. Before Lanier stepped onto the court, the mixed doubles team of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue secured France's first gold medal of the tournament. They fought through a tense one-hour and 18-minute battle to defeat China's top-seeded duo Feng Yan She and Huang Dong Ping with scores of 22-20, 19-21, 21-15. This double gold performance established France as only the second European country to claim multiple gold medals in a single edition of these championships.

Korean Superstar Reclaims Her Throne

South Korean sensation An Se Young reasserted her dominance over the women's division by defeating defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. Earning her second career world title, she swept the match in straight sets, 21-17, 21-14. During the crucial opening game, she rallied from a 17-17 tie to score four consecutive points, then maintained complete control throughout the second game. Indian fans packed the arena to support their home talent on the final day. They cheered loudly as the local women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand officially collected their hard-earned bronze medals.

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An Se-young

With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI