The Badminton World Federation Tour resumes after its break for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with the Japan Open Super 750, that begins on Tuesday.
However, due to the event in Paris, the event in Yokohama has a rather depleted Indian contingent competing.
World No 37 and India’s No 3 Kiran George is the only Indian competing in the men’s singles event. But he has a tricky start as he takes on former top 20 player and current world No 30 Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan in the first round. A win there could set him up with a possible second round clash against world No 8 Kodai Naraoka, also of Japan.
Three Indians are competing in the women’s singles section. Two of them however, will meet each other if they get to the second round. For that though, Ashmita Chaliha will have to beat top seed and world No 4 Tai Tzu Ying, and Malvika Bansod will have to get the better of Thailand’s world No 20 Ratchanok Intanon.
India No 2 Aakarshi Kashyap, meanwhile, will play South Korea’s Kim Ga Eun, the world No 15 women’s singles player.
In women’s doubles, the Panda sisters Rutaparna and Swetaparna are the only Indians who will be competing. They take on Denmark’s Julie Finne-Ipsen and Mai Surrow in the first round.
Two teams will be competing in the mixed doubles event for India. Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath will play the Indonesian team of Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati. The seasoned team of B Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy will face Denmark’s Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund.
Meanwhile, no Indian team has signed up for the men’s doubles event.
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