Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and world No 8 HS Prannoy will spearhead a strong Indian squad at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships, which is slated to be held in Shah Alam, Malaysia next month.
The prestigious team event will be important for Indian shuttlers to gain valuable points in the Race to Paris Olympic Games Qualification rankings.
The team championships will also mark the comeback of India’s star shuttler PV Sindhu, who has been out of the international circuit due to a knee injury for almost four months.
The 16-year-old senior national champion Anmol Kharb, along with Tanvi Sharma and Ashmita Chaliha will provide backup to the former world champion in the women’s singles category.
The women’s doubles section will be led Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who helped the Indian team clinch a historic bronze medal last year at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2023 in Dubai, will contest in women’s doubles.
The remaining two pairs include rising duo of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto alongside reigning senior national champions Priya Devi Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra.
One of the most consistent shuttlers on tour, Prannoy, who also won his first BWF World Championships medal and BWF World Tour title at Malaysia Masters 2023, will lead the men’s team.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lakshya Sen, former world No 1 Kidambi Srikanth and recently crowned senior national champion Chirag Sen will accompany him in team India’s pursuit for glory.
Having won six titles in 2023, including gold medals at Asian Games and Asian Championships, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will shoulder the men’s doubles responsibility. The former world No 1 duo will have the support of impressive senior national champion pair Suraj Goala and Pruthvi Roy, Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun.
Indian men’s team has previously won bronze medals in the 2016 and 2018 editions of the team event
India squad
Men’s Team: Prannoy HS, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Chirag Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila, M R Arjun, Suraj Goala, Pruthvi Roy
Women’s Team: PV Sindhu, Anmol Kharb, Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa, Tanisha Crasto, Priya Devi Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra
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