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HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen lead Indian hopes at Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500, with Ayush Shetty, Tharun Mannepalli, and Kiran George aiming for breakthroughs.
Indian badminton stars Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy (PTI)
Indian shuttlers HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen aim to regain their form, while emerging players seek to turn potential into performance at the USD 475,000 Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 tournament starting on Tuesday.
Lakshya, who bounced back from a lean period with a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open and quarterfinal appearances at the Denmark and Hylo Opens, will strive to maintain this momentum. Seeded seventh, the 24-year-old from Almora, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, faces a challenging first-round match against Japan’s world No. 25 Koki Watanabe.
Prannoy, a 2023 World Championships bronze medallist, has been struggling since a pre-Olympic bout of chikungunya affected his preparation for Paris, where he played through pain but exited early. The 33-year-old from Kerala, one of India’s most consistent performers in recent years with a 2023 Malaysia Masters title and a runner-up finish at the Australian Open, is looking to regain his form as he returns from injury.
Prannoy had retired midway through his first-round match against Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo at the Korea Open in September, clutching his ribs after a cross-court smash. Back in action after more than a month’s layoff, he will begin against Malaysia’s Jun Hao Leong.
Who Else Is Playing?
Among the next generation, US Open winner Ayush Shetty, who stunned former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore on his way to the Hylo Open quarterfinals, will face top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the first round. Tharun Mannepalli, a semifinalist at the Macau Open Super 300, takes on Korea’s Jeon Hyeok Jin, while Kiran George, who upset France’s Toma Junior Popov en route to the Hylo Open quarterfinals, will meet a qualifier.
In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde will compete against the American pair Presley Smith and Jennie Gai. There are no Indian entries in other categories.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
November 10, 2025, 11:43 IST
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