Two-time Olympics medallist PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and the star pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty will form the core of Indian squad to take part in the Badminton Asia Team Championships to be played in Qingdao, China from February 3-8. India are defending champions in the women’s category of the competition, whereas the men’s team had won two bronze medals in the past.
“Selected on the basis of ranking, performance, and experience, the women’s team will once again be led by former world champion and two-time Olympics medallist, PV Sindhu,” the Badminton Association of India said in a release. The world No 13 Sen will be the top ranked men’s singles player in the squad which also features Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, US Open winner Ayush Shetty, and Tharun Mannepalli.
Satwik-Chirag will be lead the doubles unit along with Guwahati Masters runners-up Sai Pratheek K and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy, as well as Hariharan Amsakarunan. In the women’s category, Sindhu will be supported by world junior championships silver medalist Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda, Rakshita Sree Santhosh Ramraj and Malvika Bansod in singles,
Syed Modi International champions Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly will lead India’s charge in the doubles while Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, and Tanisha Crasto complete the squad. BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra said, “Over the last few years, Indian teams have consistently been medal contenders at the Asian and World level and this squad has the right mix of form and experience and is capable of challenging for the crown in both categories.”
Team:
Men’s: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi, Prannoy HS, Tharun Mannepalli, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Pruthvi Krishnamurthy, Sai Pratheek K, Hariharan Amsakarunan
Women’s: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, Tanvi, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, Malvika Bansod, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Priya Konje-ngbam, Shruti, Tanisha.
