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IMAGE: Lakshya Sen, the brand new poster boy of Indian badminton. {Photograph}: Badminton Affiliation of India
With the injured PV Sindhu lacking out for the primary time in a decade, the onus shall be on younger Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy to spearhead India’s problem within the BWF World Championships, beginning right here from Monday.
With 5 medals, together with the gold in 2019, Sindhu is a colossal determine within the BWF’s most prestigious and aggressive match, however an ankle harm en path to a maiden Commonwealth Video games title triumph dashed her hopes of travelling to the Japanese capital.
This left the duty of constant India’s spectacular run within the match on the younger shoulders of Lakshya, and the skilled duo of Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth. The nation has not returned empty-handed from the Worlds for the reason that 2011 version.
It was Srikanth and Lakshya, who had ensured India’s presence on the podium in 2021 once they completed with a silver and a bronze, respectively, however the discipline this time shall be a lot stronger than final 12 months.
It was a depleted discipline in 2021 with Japan’s Kento Momota, and the Indonesian duo of Jonatan Christie and Anthony Ginting lacking out. However there was no such withdrawal this time.
On the similar time, the expectations from the Indian male shuttlers can even be excessive, given their exploits in current months.
Brimming with confidence following his CWG gold on debut, Lakshya has been on a sensational run this season, and can go into the highest occasion as one of many favourites.
The 20-year-old, who was left crestfallen after not having the ability to go the gap in Spain, will look to finish his unfinished enterprise when he opens towards Danish veteran Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus.
Lakshya’s shares have been rising ever since he returned from Huelva in December as he received a maiden Tremendous 500 title at India Open, completed with a silver at All England Championships, earlier than becoming a member of palms with Srikanth and Prannoy to earn India its maiden Thomas Cup win in Might.
Nonetheless, the trio will flip foe this week after being clubbed in the identical quarter.
The truth is Lakshya, seeded ninth, would possibly conflict with Prannoy within the third spherical if the senior professional manages to get previous former world primary and second seed Momota within the second spherical.
Prannoy has been probably the most constant gamers within the circuit, with a run of quarterfinals, three semifinals and a runners-up end this season, and he could be itching to proceed his spectacular run.
The 30-year-old Indian is thought for his giant-killing exploits and comes into the occasion after twin wins over world No. 4 Chou Tien Chen not too long ago, and can fancy his possibilities towards Momota, who hasn’t regarded the identical participant since his automobile accident two years in the past.
Srikanth, twelfth seed, was merely sensational in Bangkok and it was his unbeaten run which performed an enormous position in India’s Thomas Cup win, however the former world No. 1’s confidence took a beating after he misplaced twice to approaching Malaysian Ng Tze Yong on the Birmingham CWG.
He, nonetheless, recovered to return with a bronze from the Commonwealth Video games and should be at his greatest when he faces the likes of Eire’s Nhat Nguyen and China’s Zhao Jun Peng in Tokyo.
If Srikanth clears the preliminary hurdles, world quantity 5 Malaysian Lee Zii Jia will stand in his solution to the quarters.
B Sai Praneeth, a 2019 World Championships bronze medallist, too, is within the fray and can open towards Taiwanese Chou Tien Chen.
The previous Singapore Open champion will look to exorcise his ghosts in Tokyo, the place he battled with no correct coach or physio, struggling a sequence of defeats to bow out early from the Olympics final 12 months.
All eyes can even be on Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who claimed India’s first gold medal in males’s doubles on the CWG earlier this month.
The world quantity 7 duo, which received the India Open title in January and was an essential cog within the Thomas Cup triumph, acquired a first-round bye however is predicted to conflict with Malaysian thirteenth seeds Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong within the second spherical.
Away from all of the limelight shall be a sure Saina Nehwal, who was as soon as the cynosure of all eyes.
The adorned shuttler has a silver and bronze from the Worlds however, of late, has regarded a pale shadow of herself, following a sequence of below-par performances because of each accidents and lack of kind.
The 32-year-old from Hyderabad recorded a surprising win over He Bingjiao of China en route her first quarterfinal look in 16 months at Singapore Open and she is going to look to provide her greatest effort when she opens towards Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi.
Amongst others, the pairing of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy, and Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, can even be within the fray in girls’s doubles. The pairs are CWG bronze medallists in 2018 and 2022.
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