A week’s rest after three back-to-back tournaments, PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal will now train their eyes on ending India’s 54-year-old title jinx in the Asia Badminton Championships beginning here on Wednesday.
PV Sindhu
Wuhan:
The last Indian to win a gold medal at the continental competition was Dinesh Khanna, who was the men’s champion way back in 1965. Last year, HS Prannoy and Saina Nehwal bagged bronze medals in their respective categories.
The duo will have their task cut out in a draw which boosts of Akane Yamaguchi, Chen Yufei, Ratchanok Inthanon among others even though defending champion Tai Tzu Ying has withdrawn from the event. Sindhu will look for her maiden title of the season when she begins her campaign against Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi.
A win is likely to pit Sindhu against Pornpawee Chochuwong, who had beaten Saina at Malaysia Open. The Indian is expected to stave off the challenge, which will bring her face to face with Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun, who had beaten her twice this year.
Saina, seeded seventh, will begin her quest for a second title against China’s Han Yue and is likely to clash with Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the quarter-finals. In men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth will face Indonesia’s Shesar Hiren Rhustavito in the opening round and is likely to take on Tien Minh Nguyen next. He is expected to clash with Olympic champion Chen Long of China in the last eight stage.
Sameer Verma will start his run against Japan’s Kazumasa Sakai and is likely to fight with in-form Indonesian Anthony Sinisuka Ginting next.