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PV Sindhu, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lead a strong Indian badminton team for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
PV Sindhu will lead the Indian contingent at Asian Games (Picture credit: Badminton Photo)
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and reigning men’s doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will headline the Indian badminton squad at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The Badminton Association of India selection committee finalised the team after reviewing recent performances across national and international tournaments, alongside BWF rankings as of May 26.
Led by India’s top-ranked men’s singles player Lakshya Sen, the squad also features last edition’s bronze medallist HS Prannoy and former world no. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, all part of India’s historic men’s team silver-medal campaign at the previous edition in Hangzhou.
The Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4, and India will be hoping to replicate or even surpass their splendid show at the 2023 edition.
India capped their most successful badminton campaign in Hangzhou, securing one gold, one silver, and an individual bronze through Prannoy.
The men’s contingent retains much of the core that secured a bronze medal at the BWF Thomas Cup earlier this year.
Badminton Asia Championships silver medallist Ayush Shetty, alongside BWF World Junior Championships Individual Championship silver medallist Tanvi Sharma and Team Championship medallist Unnati Hooda, have also earned selection after a string of brilliant performances on the international circuit.
“Indian badminton today is in a position where success is being shaped not just by individual excellence, but by the growing depth of talent across categories,” stated BAI General Secretary Sanjay Mishra.
“Over the last few months, we have seen encouraging signs across the board: Satwik-Chirag back to their best, Lakshya returning to the world’s top 10, the men’s team reaching another Thomas Cup podium, Sindhu and our senior players delivering consistently, and younger athletes stepping up with strong performances and important results internationally.
“This squad reflects that journey, a blend of experience, depth and emerging talent, and we believe it has the quality and character to compete strongly at the Asian Games and make the country proud,” he added.
Indian badminton has won 13 medals in Asian Games history, including a breakthrough gold medal at the previous edition.
India’s highest medal tally overall came at the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, where the country secured five bronze medals.
The Indian squad will also feature established combinations across categories.
Men’s doubles pair Hariharan Amsakarunan and M. R. Arjun arrive in strong form, with Arjun also carrying experience from India’s silver-winning men’s team campaign in 2022.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continue to anchor India’s women’s doubles challenge, alongside the steadily rising Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam.
Thailand Masters Super 300 champion Devika Sihag and talents Isharani Baruah and Tharun Mannepalli further strengthen India’s singles depth. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto add quality and experience to the doubles setup.
For the individual championships, India will field representation across all five disciplines, with Sen and Shetty featuring in men’s singles, while Sindhu and Hooda lead the women’s singles.
Satwiksairaj-Chirag and Hariharan-Arjun will compete in men’s doubles, with Treesa-Gayatri and Kavipriya-Simran representing India in women’s doubles. India will also have their top mixed doubles duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto in the fray.
Asian Games Squad
Team Championship:
Men’s: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, H. S. Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Tharun Mannepalli, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan, M. R. Arjun, Dhruv Kapila
Women’s: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, Devika Sihag, Tanvi Sharma, Isharani Baruah, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, Kavipriya Selvam, Simran Singhi, Tanisha Crasto.
Individual Championship:
Men’s Singles (MS): Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty; Women’s Singles (WS): PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda; Men’s Doubles (MD): Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty; Hariharan Amsakarunan / M. R. Arjun
Women’s Doubles (WD): Treesa Jolly / Gayatri Gopichand Pullela; Kavipriya Selvam / Simran Singhi; Mixed Doubles (XD): Dhruv Kapila / Tanisha Crasto
(With PTI Inputs)
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