Hangzhou is ready to host the very best of world badminton as the BWF World Tour Finals 2025 runs from December 17 to 21, marking the climax of the international season. Featuring only the top eight players and pairs across all five disciplines, the tournament represents the sport’s most exclusive battleground. From an Indian perspective, the focus narrows to a single challenge — Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the lone Indian pair to earn qualification for the prestigious finale.
Currently ranked world No. 3, the Indian men’s doubles duo find themselves drawn into Group B, widely labelled the tournament’s “Group of Death.” It is a pool that promises relentless intensity, tactical battles, and no margin for error. Satwik and Chirag will face three of the most formidable pairs on the circuit: Paris Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia, the explosive Chinese duo Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, and Indonesia’s seasoned campaigners Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
The road to Hangzhou has been anything but smooth for the former world No. 1 pair. The first half of 2025 tested them severely, with injuries and personal challenges forcing them out of action and pushing them outside the top 20 in the world rankings. For a duo accustomed to dominating the elite level, it was unfamiliar territory.
However, the latter half of the season marked a powerful resurgence. Returning from injury layoffs, Satwik and Chirag steadily rebuilt their rhythm with deep runs across Super 500, Super 750, and Super 1000 tournaments. Their revival peaked with a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships, followed by runner-up finishes at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters, results that underlined their ability to go toe-to-toe with the very best. Those performances propelled them back into the top three of the world rankings, reaffirming their status as genuine title contenders.
Stars Shine at BWF Player of the Year Awards
The build-up to the World Tour Finals was further illuminated at the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2025 Gala Dinner in Hangzhou, where the BWF Player of the Year Awards were announced, celebrating excellence across the season from December 2024 to November 2025.
China’s Shi Yu Qi and Korea-born star An Se Young emerged as the biggest winners of the night, claiming double honours. Shi was named Men’s Singles Player of the Year and also received the Players’ Player of the Year award in the men’s category, while An mirrored the feat in women’s badminton, winning Women’s Singles Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year.
Malaysia’s Cheah Liek Hou also enjoyed a memorable evening, taking home the Para Badminton Male Player of the Year award and the Para Badminton Pair of the Year title alongside Fareez Anuar. All awards were presented by BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, recognising not just results, but also consistency, fair play, personality, and impact over the season.
Adding a touch of future promise, 20-year-old Victor Lai was honoured with the Eddy Choong Rising Star of the Year Award after making history as the first Canadian medallist at the BWF World Championships.
Other award winners included:
Men’s Doubles: Kim Won Ho / Seo Seung Jae (Korea)
Women’s Doubles: Liu Sheng Shu / Tan Ning (China)
Mixed Doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Supissara Paewsampran (Thailand)
Women’s Para Badminton: Ilaria Olgiati (Switzerland)
Best Dressed: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (India) and Putri Kusuma Wardani (Indonesia)
A Date with History
History beckons for India in Hangzhou. PV Sindhu remains the only Indian to have won the BWF World Tour Finals, claiming the women’s singles crown in 2018. No Indian men’s doubles pair has ever lifted the trophy. If Satwik and Chirag can survive their brutal group and unleash their trademark blend of power, speed, and tactical intelligence, they carry a golden opportunity to script a historic first.
Group Stage Schedule
Satwik/Chirag vs Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang (China): December 17
Satwik/Chirag vs Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri (Indonesia): December 18
Satwik/Chirag vs Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia): To be scheduled
As Hangzhou awaits, the season’s final chapter promises elite clashes, defining moments, and the possibility of Indian badminton history.
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