BWF World C’ships: Sport moving to plastic shuttles despite pollution concerns

The German badminton federation approved of synthetics earlier this year, and at the German Open, top players ended up playing a 'triple format' - a three-a-side as demonstration on the day of the semifinals.

4 min readUpdated: Aug 18, 2026 11:15 PM IST

Two volunteers lift the A-board and invert the side which has two distinct names on the two sides of the triangular boards. (Express Photos)

Mixed doubles shuttler Marvin Seidel plays Bashminton to unwind. The toy set with oversized racquets and a crazy-ball shuttle bird ends up with wild trajectories. Not in his wildest, did he imagine that a synthetic shuttle or a hybrid might actually make its way onto a real badminton court, where he is a former European champion.

A promotional event for the experimental synthetic birds that the Badminton World Federation is looking to introduce in the future, saw Seidel toss them around for 30 odd minutes. His feedback? “It’s fine. The sound it makes is a little off compared to feather shuttles. And you have to adjust to spin because it tumbles longer,” he said after his mixed doubles loss at the Delhi Badminton World Championships, even as he anticipates them being unrolled sooner than in the next five years.

But sitting in Germany, Seidel processed the shortage of feather shuttles last summer and the increase in prices of shuttle tubes as something of an artificially created crisis. “Perhaps due to monopolies,” he ventures.

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The shortages stemmed from China’s changed dietary preferences – duck to chicken, whose ripple effect saw a shortage of geese feathers and a 300% rise in shuttle costs.

Also Read | Inside the drift problem at Delhi’s Badminton World Championships

Even as feather shuttles need substitutes for the sport to stay sustainable, Seidel flags a larger long-term concern. “The whole world and every sport is going green, and badminton is going plastic! I don’t see the benefit of mass plastic usage. After one use they will just be lying somewhere because plastic can’t be recycled. I think we are shooting ourselves in the foot,” he added.

The German badminton federation approved of synthetics earlier this year, and at the German Open, top players ended up playing a ‘triple format’ – a three-a-side as demonstration on the day of the semifinals.

The synthetics, still being tested, but almost inevitable in coming years, aren’t exactly widely available, which brings skepticism about them being adopted. Pitched to replace the feathers for their durability and with the geese feathers becoming scarce, the synths are raising a fundamental question – is badminton really on the path to being sustainable?

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Surfeit of sponsors sees A board rotations

There are no digital advertising boards at Delhi’s Badminton World’s HQ and the Delhi Worlds don’t have a title sponsor. But the Badminton World Federation has invited a surfeit of secondary sponsors for their mega spectacle in India, numbering 16 at least. It also means there are limited spots on the court, with 14 boards visible on broadcast cameras at any given point. It’s why a mid-match manual switch of boards happens.

Two volunteers lift the A-board and invert the side which has two distinct names on the two sides of the triangular boards. The initial plan was to dim the lights at the 11-point mark and switch like a stage play set prop. But the organisers have refused risking electric malfunctions by turning lights off and on. “We switch the boards after every game,” BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra explained. It happens when cameras are on the mid-match parleys between coach and player, allowing volunteers to turn boards around. Badminton court aesthetic barely helps back boards register, but if you notice revolving sponsor names, there’s a rehearsed manual switch happening in this low-tech sport.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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