Hangzhou, Sep. 27 (PTI) Given their recent unmatched success, Indian shuttlers are under pressure to capture the elusive badminton gold at the Asian Games and bring home the biggest trophy haul ever.
The team championships here will kick off the Indian badminton players' season on Thursday.
Only 10 medals have been won by India in badminton at the Asian Games, comprising three individual singles medals, three bronze medals for men's teams, two for women's teams, and one each for men's doubles and mixed doubles.
India hasn't taken home a medal in the men's team competition since the 1986 edition in Seoul, but they have a fantastic chance this time around thanks to their incredible victory in the Thomas Cup in May 2022.
The Indian team will start its campaign on Thursday with the same core of players, including Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Lakshya Sen, and HS Prannoy, all of whom are in good form.
However, with the presence of powerhouses like China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the competition, it will be easier said than done.
"The group appears strong. We are going as the world champions because it is the same team that won the Thomas Cup. I believe that the players competing against us are aware that it is difficult (to overcome India), since we are capable of defeating any team in the globe, Lakshya Sen said to PTI.
The only competitor to have come close to winning a gold medal in the continental championships is two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, who finished with a silver at the most recent competition in Jakarta.
In the women's singles category, Saina Nehwal's bronze medal from the Jakarta Olympics is still the only other individual medal, while Syed Modi was the only man to take home a bronze medal in the men's singles category.
Expectations are high for gold medalists from the Commonwealth Games Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty as well as world championships bronze medalist HS Prannoy due to Indian athletes' remarkable recent performances.
While Satwik-Chirag are the Asian Champions and have won championships in Indonesia, Korea, and Switzerland, Prannoy got his first world championships bronze in Copenhagen after winning the Malaysia Masters and placing in the final at the Australian Open.
While Satwik-Chirag will be eager to make up for missing out on a medal at the world championships in Copenhagen last month, Prannoy will be full of confidence.
SINDHU IS CONFIDENTLY LOW
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On the other side, Sindhu has always performed well in the high-profile competitions, but she enters the Hangzhou Games with low confidence after a lacklustre campaign following her recovery from an ankle injury last year.
It would be a remarkable accomplishment if Sindhu could turn things around at the Binjiang Gymnasium here after making an early exit at least ten times this season; her sole final finish was the Spain Masters in April.
Kidambi Srikanth, a silver medalist at the 2021 world championships and a crucial component of India's Thomas Cup-winning team, has also had hot and cold spells. He will hope that third time will be the charm and that he adds an Asian Games medal to his trophy case after two unsuccessful tries.
The Indian women's team won a bronze medal in Incheon nine years prior, but this time around, they are a young team without the necessary competitive edge.
The squad's highest-ranked players after Sindhu are the doubles team of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, but it will be difficult for Ashmita Chaliha, Anupama Upadhyay, and Malvika Bansod to handle players like An Se Young, Tai Tzu Ying, or Akane Yamaguchi.
Other pairs competing in Hangzhou include Dhruv Kapila/MR Arjun, Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor/Sikki Reddy, Sai Pratheek/Tanisha Crasto, and others.
On October 2, team competitions will begin badminton. These will be followed by singles and doubles tournaments.
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