Asian Games: Saina, Sindhu get decent draw as India seeks to end 36-year wait for individual medal

Indian badminton’s 36-year wait for an individual medal in the Asian Games should come to an end in Jakarta after the women’s singles players were handed a rather comfortable draw in the individual competition that begins on Thursday.

World championship silver medallist PV Sindhu, seeded third, will open her campaign against Vietnam’s Thi Thrang (B) Vu and should easily sail through to the semifinals despite the presence of Indonesia’s world junior champion Gregoria Mariska Tunjung and Nitchaon Jindapol in her half of the draw.

A semi-final appearance in Asian Games is enough to guarantee a medal and Sindhu should fancy her chances of making it past the last four stage where she is likely to face Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi whom she has beaten in their last two meetings, or China’s Chen Yufei.

Saina Nehwal, on the other hand, should fancy her chances of getting the better of former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand or Sung Ji Hyun of Korea in the quarterfinals for a medal. The 28-year-old will begin her campaign against Soraya Aghaeihajiagha of Iran and should face Indonesia’s Fitriani Fitriani in the second round.

Only one Indian woman, Kanwal Thakur Singh, has won an individual medal in the Asian Games so far when she teamed up with Leroy D’Sa to clinch the mixed doubles bronze in the 1982 edition in New Delhi.

Not so easy for men

While the women would fancy their chances, men’s singles stars Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy have their task cut out from the earlier round itself.

Having received a bye in the opening round, Srikanth will face Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent in the second round and would also have to get the better of former world top-10 player Wang Tzu Wei of Taipei before a possible showdown with top seed Shi Yuqi of China in the quarterfinals.

The other Indian in the fray, HS Prannoy, is likely to face fourth seed Chou Tien Chen of Taipei in the pre-quarters and will have to get the better of Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus to assure himself of a medal.

In the doubles section, men’s doubles combination of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will open their campaign against Hong Kong’s Chung Yonny and Tam Chun Hei while national champions Manu Atri and B Sumeeth Reddy have an easy opening against Maldives Thoif Ahmed Mohamed and Mohamed Ajfan Rasheed.

In mixed doubles, Satwik and Ashwini Ponnappa will face Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai in the opening round and will have to win three good matches to have chance for a medal.