Is India Ready? AirBadminton at The World Games 2029, Karlsruhe, Germany
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AirBadminton has taken another major step towards becoming a global sport. The International World Games Association has confirmed AirBadminton for The World Games 2029, to be held in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 19–29 July 2029. The Games will feature 36 sports and 62 disciplines, with around 4,000 athletes from more than 100 countries expected to participate. For AirBadminton, this will be a landmark moment—the discipline's debut at The World Games and its first appearance at a major international multi-sport event.
For India, the development is particularly significant.
From 2019 to the World Games
BWF launched AirBadminton in 2019 with an ambitious objective: take badminton beyond traditional indoor courts and make the sport accessible on sand, grass and hard outdoor surfaces. The key innovation was the AirShuttle, specially designed to provide greater stability in outdoor conditions. But the concept was hardly unfamiliar to Indians. Long before AirBadminton had a name, badminton was being played across India in streets, parks, school grounds, apartment compounds and open spaces. India's enormous recreational badminton culture therefore gave the country a natural advantage from the very beginning. When AirBadminton was launched in 2019, Indian badminton stars including Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap welcomed the concept, while badminton administrators also recognised its potential to take the sport to a much wider population. The bigger question, however, was whether outdoor badminton could develop from a recreational activity into a serious competitive discipline.
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India had the opportunity—but needed a pathway
That question became more important when AirBadminton moved towards international competition. The discipline was selected for the ANOC World Beach Games 2023, with events planned around men's Triples, women's Triples, Mixed Doubles and Mixed Team Relay. Although the World Beach Games were ultimately cancelled, the qualification structure demonstrated that AirBadminton was developing towards a genuine international competition system. For India, this should have been an important signal. The country already had a huge badminton player base. But being a strong indoor badminton nation does not automatically make a country strong in AirBadminton. Wind changes shuttle behaviour. Sand changes movement. Outdoor conditions demand different positioning and tactical awareness. And the Triples format introduces another layer of rotation and court-coverage strategy. AirBadminton therefore requires specialist preparation—not simply indoor badminton players moved outdoors.
2025: The World Cup arrives
The next major milestone came in December 2025, when the inaugural BWF AirBadminton World Cup was held in Sharjah, UAE. The tournament featured 12 national teams, competing in men's Triples, women's Triples and Team Relay. One important fact stands out for India: India was not among the 12 teams at the inaugural World Cup.
India may be one of the world's strongest badminton nations, but AirBadminton has already developed its own competitive ecosystem, with countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong China investing in different forms of player development.
The lesson is clear: India's traditional badminton strength will help, but it cannot replace a dedicated AirBadminton pathway.
Why India can still become a major force
India's advantage is enormous. The country already has millions of recreational badminton players, a deep coaching ecosystem, strong doubles culture and a large pool of young athletes. AirBadminton could also dramatically expand access to the sport because it does not depend on expensive indoor infrastructure. Schools, colleges, parks, beaches and community sports grounds could all become development centres. India's coastline provides another natural advantage, from Tamil Nadu and Kerala to Goa, Odisha and West Bengal. But AirBadminton should not be treated only as a beach sport. Its ability to be played on different outdoor surfaces makes it suitable for both urban and rural grassroots development.
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What India should do before 2029
With The World Games now confirmed, India has a clear target. A national AirBadminton pathway could identify talent from junior badminton, universities, state-level competitions and doubles specialists, while also giving opportunities to experienced players who can adapt to the outdoor format. Regular state championships, zonal competitions, national championships and selection trials would create the competitive structure that is currently essential.
Coaches also need specific training in wind management, AirShuttle behaviour, sand movement, Triples rotation and outdoor tactics. Most importantly, India needs consistent international exposure before 2029.
From gully badminton to The World Games
There is something fitting about AirBadminton's journey. For decades, Indians played badminton outdoors because indoor facilities were not always available. In 2019, BWF gave that outdoor version a formal identity. By 2025, AirBadminton had its first World Cup.
And in 2029, it will arrive at The World Games in Germany. India already has the culture, the players and the passion. What it needs now is a structured AirBadminton mission for 2029.
The question is no longer whether Indians can play badminton outdoors. They already do. The real question is whether India can transform that enormous grassroots culture into world-class AirBadminton athletes. If it succeeds, Karlsruhe 2029 could mark not only the global coming-of-age of AirBadminton, but also the moment when India's familiar “gully badminton” culture finds a place on the world stage.
endar.
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