Shuttling between highs & lows

Daman Singh

Chandigarh, September 19

It has been a year of mixed fortunes for the shuttlers. While the country’s top-ranked men’s singles shuttler HS Prannoy and world No. 2 doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty elicited a ripple of applause from the fans for their galvanic performances on the circuit, their compatriots PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth have gone through probably the toughest phase of their careers.

Nevertheless, there are high hopes from the shuttlers, especially the men, as the Asian Games begin. No Indian has ever won a gold medal at the Asiad. At the Jakarta 2018, India won just two medals — silver through Sindhu and bronze through Saina Nehwal. This time, however, they seem poised to script history.

But, the road to gold won’t be an easy one. In their way stand Asian powerhouses like China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Chinese Taipei, etc.

Overcoming them will demand a lot from the Indians as they are currently dominating the badminton world: South Korea’s An Se Young is the women’s world champion, while Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yoo Jung are the men’s doubles champions. Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn was crowned the men’s singles world champion. China’s Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yifan are the women’s doubles champions.

“It is one of the toughest events in badminton. It is an Asia-dominated sport. To win a medal you have to be at your best,” said Srikanth, who has much to prove come September 28.

Even though the continental event is a happy hunting ground for the Asian giants, it doesn’t diminish India’s chances of stepping on the top step of the podium in at least one of the five categories. There is an air of optimism surrounding them, as it has been so far in the season.

If world No. 7 Prannoy’s recent World Championships run, which saw him take out world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen in his own backyard on way to a bronze finish, was a moment to savour, Satwiksairaj and Chirag caught fire much before. They stunned the world by winning three tournaments this year, including the historic Indonesia Open Super 1000 title. Prannoy is the only Indian shuttler who has maintained his place in the top-10 of the rankings since December last year.

The men’s team, which won the Thomas Cup last year with a 3-0 win over Indonesia, is headlined by a sizzling Prannoy and Satwiksairaj-Chirag pair. They will be joined by Lakshya Sen and Mithun Manjunath in a bid to end country’s 37-year medal drought in the team event.

0 India have never won a gold medal at the Asian Games. PV Sindhu won India’s only silver in 2018. India also have nine bronze medals

1 Prannoy is the only Indian shuttler who has maintained his place in the top-10 of the rankings since December last year

After making a comeback from a nose surgery and a sharp dip in form, Sen has blown hot and cold over the course of the year. His Canada Open triumph and three semifinal finishes underpin his credentials to come good. On the other hand, reigning national champion Manjunath wowed the badminton world when he defeated world No. 9 Loh Kean Yew in straight sets at the Australian Open last month. The two bring their explosive attacking games to the table, which is a valuable asset for any team.

Two of a kind

Sindhu and Srikanth need to put on their game mask at the Asiad. For, a medal could be just what they need to shut out the outside noise.

Both the shuttlers have had their share of struggles. Sindhu’s return after a five-month injury layoff saw her make seven first-round exits in the 15 BWF tournaments she contested. Consequently, her ranking plummeted to world No. 17 in July, a new low for her in over a decade, while Srikanth’s lean patch has seen him drop to No. 21.

Srikanth had to go through the rigours of the national trials, which he topped, to earn his place in the 19-member squad. It will be important for the injury-prone Srikanth to keep up the consistency if he gets going. It will all come down to his experience as he navigates through the draw.

As for Sindhu, she would be keen to drill it in that she’s not losing it. The 28-year-old has admitted that her wretched form has triggered a confidence crisis in her. Even former players, such as Vimal Kumar, believe that “not much should be expected of Sindhu at the Asian Games”.

The plunge in confidence also promoted her to hire the services of Malaysia’s Hafiz Hashim, but changing a coach never guarantees a change in fortunes. It is clear from her recent defeats that she needs to add more shots to her repertoire. Her long reach makes for a great defensive play but she has to polish her game at the net and most of all, find that spark that has gone missing for a while.

INDIA’S SQUAD

Men’s singles: HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth

Women’s singles: PV Sindhu, Ashmita Chaliha

Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila/MR Arjun

Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto

Mixed doubles: Rohan Kapoor/N Sikki Reddy, Sai Pratheek/Tanisha Crasto

Men’s team HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila, MR Arjun, Lakshya Sen, Mithun Manjunath, Rohan Kapoor, B Sai Pratheek

Women’s team PV Sindhu, Ashmita Chaliha, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa, Tanisha Crasto, Malvika Bansod, Anupama Upadhyaya, N Sikki Reddy