January 10, 2023
2 mins read

Malaysia Open: Indian shuttlers in quest for glory

P.V. Sindhu, who is returning after a lengthy injury break, will face a stern test in the opening round match as she faces Rio Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain….reports Asian Lite News

shuttlers will be aiming for a victorious start to the BWF World Tour 2023 season with the Malaysia Open, which has been upgraded from BWF Super 750 to Super 1000 category, commences here at the Axiata Arena on Tuesday.

Indian badminton players will be joining star shuttlers from across the world including World Champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, Korean An Se Young in the Super 1000 tournament.

P.V. Sindhu, who is returning after a lengthy injury break, will face a stern test in the opening round match as she faces Rio Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain.

The ace Indian shuttler was last seen in action at the Commonwealth Games in August 2022, where she sustained a stress fracture in her left ankle. As a result, she pulled out of the last year’s World Championships and World Tour Finals.

The Spaniard, who defeated Sindhu in the 2016 Rio Olympics final, leads 9-5 in the head-to-head record over her Indian counterpart. Their last meeting was in 2021 at the Swiss Open final where Marin emerged victorious in straight games.

Saina Nehwal, Malvika Bansod, and Aakarshi Kashyap will also be aiming for a flying start to the year in Kuala Lumpur in the women’s singles category.

Nehwal will play unseeded Chinese Han Yue, Aakarshi will be up against Hsu Wen-Chi of Taipei while Malvika will face a tougher opponent in the form of second-seed An Se Young of South Korea in the opening round.

In the men’s singles, India’s top-ranked players — Lakshya Sen and H.S. Prannoy — will battle it out for a place in the pre-quarterfinals. World championships 2021 silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth, ranked 13 in the world, will face Japanese shuttler, Kenta Nishimoto.

World championships bronze medallists pair, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will lead India’s challenge in men’s doubles and will square off with the Korean duo of Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho.

If the star Indian duo prevails in the initial rounds, they will set a potential quarterfinal clash with Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists and World Champion Malaysian duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.

Another men’s doubles pair of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala will play the Korean combination of Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae in their first-round clash.

In women’s doubles, the 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will take on Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam while Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam are drawn to play Thailand’s Supissara Paewsampran and Putita Supajirakul in the first round.

India squad:

Men’s singles: HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth

Women’s singles: PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap

Men’s doubles: Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Krishna Prasad Garaga/ Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala

Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Bhat/Shikha Gautam,

ALSO READ: It felt like Lanka against Surya, says Hardik Pandya

Previous Story

Late pull-out by Bumrah sours India’s Lanka ODIs plans

Next Story

Orange glazed pineapple muffins: A wonderful moist treat of citrus flavor

Latest from Sport

‘It’s Mind Over Technique’

Gill said the quick white-ball to red-ball switch was more mental than technical, adding he focused on defence and getting in the zone….reports Asian Lite News India’s Test captain Shubman Gill, who

Para Glory for India

Paul Fitzgerald, head of World Para Athletics, and IPC president Andrew Parsons praised India’s recent growth in sports, including para sports….reports Asian Lite News India’s Paralympic movement has made rapid, huge strides

India Clinches Asia Cup with Win over Pakistan

The crafty troika of Kuldeep, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy ran riot by sharing eight wickets as reckless aerial shots led to Pakistan’s dramatic slide….reports Asian Lite News Under immense pressure, left-handed

Monika Rules the Bids

Monika, who went unsold in last season’s auction, saw a remarkable turnaround in her fortunes as she became the costliest Indian player of the auction…reports Asian Lite News Indian midfielder Monika emerged

India into the Final

With India’s win, Sri Lanka have been knocked out of the continental tournament. Pakistan and Bangladesh will now play a virtual semifinal on Thursday to decide the second finalist Kuldeep Yadav and
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Jaishankar to hold bilateral talks during visit Denmark visit

The EAM will have an audience with Queen Margrethe II

‘Small businesses face higher ransomware attacks‘

LockBit and Ragnar Locker were the most active ransomware gangs