Srikanth, Sindhu lead Indian challenge

Glasgow, August 20

In-form Kidambi Srikanth and two-time bronze medallist PV Sindhu will headline a 21-member Indian contingent as they gun for the elusive gold medal at the World Badminton Championships starting here tomorrow. After grabbing successive titles at Indonesia and Australia, Srikanth will look to continue his rampaging run and clinch a maiden World Championships medal. Olympics silver medallist Sindhu, who clinched the 2016 China Open and 2017 India Open, will look to better the colour of the medal that she had won in the 2013 and 2014 editions.

While Srikanth turns up in Scotland after three successive final finishes, Sindhu enters the event after a couple of quarterfinal finishes. Saina Nehwal, whose second place finish in the 2015 edition made her the first Indian woman to win a silver medal at the championships, will look to brush aside any concern regarding her fitness and put her best foot forward. Saina and Sindhu have got byes in the opening round. Sindhu is likely to meet China’s Sun Yu for a place in the quarterfinals. Saina is expected to clash with Korean second seed Sung Ji Hyun for a place in the pre-quarterfinals.

Men in spotlight

In the run-up to the event, it is the men who have dominated the season, winning six titles. It included the maiden Super Series title win for 15th seed B Sai Praneeth in Singapore and Sameer Verma’s victory at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow. “I am really playing well and I am confident. But everyone comes with their full fitness for such a big event,” said Srikanth, who will open his campaign against Russia’s Sergey Sirant.

“So I am not thinking about reaching the final but focussing on the first round,” said Srikanth. — PTI