Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Key details about India's badminton contingent
Four Indian shuttlers will be taking part in the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The number of participants is less as compared to seven at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Star women's singles shuttler PV Sindhu had won a historic silver medal for India last time around. India's badminton journey is set to start on July 24. Here we present the key details.
Ace shuttler Sindhu was beaten by Carolina Marin of Spain in Rio as she settled for a silver. The world number seven won the gold medal at the 2019 World Championships to establish herself as a force to be reckoned with. The silver medalist at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games is one of the contenders but will have a difficult task to solve.
28-year-old men's singles player Sai Praneeth will be aiming to show his calibre in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Sai was the first Indian male shuttler in 36 years to win a bronze medal in the BWF Championships in 2019. In 2017, he won the Singapore Open, to pocket a BWF Superseries title. He has also won two BWF Grand Prix titles.
Men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have forged their way into the top 10 in the BWF Rankings. The duo's understanding and rhythm will be key as the two players embark upon a special journey. Notably, they started playing together in 2016 and have the desired knowledge. They will rely on their attack which is a strength in their game.
Former world No.1 (in men's doubles) Mathias Boe will play a key role in helping the Chirag and Satwiksairaj. The Danish great, who retired in April 2020, was hired under Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) to help the doubles team in respective categories.
