Sindhu, Prannoy to spearhead Indian challenge at Badminton Asia Team Championships

NEW DELHI: Double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and World No. 8 Prannoy HS will spearhead a strong Indian squad at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 slated to be held in Shah Alam, Malaysia from February 13 to 19.

The prestigious team event will be important for Indian shuttlers to gain valuable qualification points in the Race to Paris 2024 Olympic qualification.

The team championships will also mark the comeback of India's star shuttler PV Sindhu, who was out of the international circuit due to a knee injury for almost four months. The 16-year-old senior national champion Anmol Kharb, Badminton Asia Junior Championships medallist Tanvi Sharma and Ashmita Chaliha will provide backup to the former world champion in the women's singles category.

"With the Olympic games a few months away, this is one of the most important events for our shuttlers considering the Paris Olympic qualification. We have rewarded the senior national champions as well, with call-up for team India. These are very strong Indian sides, who are capable of going all the way and I am sure they will script history at the prestigious team event," said Badminton Association of India General Secretary Sanjay Mishra as quoted from BFI. 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 and Yonex-Sunrise Guwahati Masters 2023 champions Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto alongside reigning senior national champions Priya Devi Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra.

On the other hand, 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 s pursuit for glory. Having won six titles in 2023, including gold medals at Asian Games and Asian Championships, along with Indonesia Open 2023 a Super 1000 event, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-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-Pruthvi Roy and Dhruv Kapila-M R 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.