New Delhi, August 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
French badminton duo Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue celebrated a historic BWF World Championships gold with champagne after becoming the first French mixed doubles pair to win the prestigious title.
Gicquel and Delrue defeated top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in a tactical masterclass in the mixed doubles final at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on Sunday.
Their coaching staff began the celebrations by surprising the pair with a bottle of champagne in the mixed zone. Asked by IANS how they planned to celebrate their landmark victory, Gicquel responded with characteristic simplicity: “We are gonna take the bottle and put it in our mouth. That’s the goal.”
The victory marked France’s first World Championships gold in badminton and Europe’s first gold in a paired event since 2009, when Denmark’s Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter-Juhl won the mixed doubles title, also in India.
The French pair executed their game plan brilliantly, particularly by keeping Huang away from the net while occasionally using flick serves against Feng. A flick serve on match point eventually sealed the historic victory.
“A lot of emotion, really, really happy and super proud to win the first gold for France,” Delrue said after the match. “It’s amazing to hear the national anthem on the podium for the first time.”
Gicquel said the achievement was difficult to comprehend, recalling how improbable it would have seemed when he was a child.
“When you are 10 years old, you don’t really think that can happen, and it’s really hard to believe, actually. It’s really important for French badminton,” he said.
Reflecting on their experience in India, the duo praised the organisation and the support inside the venue. However, they also pointed to challenging playing conditions, particularly the air quality and temperature, and suggested that future tournaments be scheduled during the summer rather than winter.
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