Indian Badminton Aces Set to Shine at Singapore Open

India's leading badminton players, including renowned shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, alongside two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, are gearing up for a spirited performance at the upcoming Singapore Open, commencing Tuesday. Sindhu, now ranked 16th, faces a challenging season with her best earlier result being a quarterfinal spot in the India Open this January, followed by four first-round exits in subsequent BWF Tour events, Olympics.com reports.

Sindhu will strive to break her slump at the very tournament she claimed victory in 2022. Emerging talent Malvika Bansod, ranked 22nd in the world, is swiftly advancing and will compete in the women's singles alongside players like Anmol Kharb and Unnati Hooda. Recovering from injuries, Satwik-Chirag are eager to rediscover their successful start to the season, having previously reached semifinals at both the Malaysia Open and India Open. They have not competed since a pre-quarterfinal elimination in the All England Open in March.

Commonwealth Games victor Lakshya Sen, who reached the bronze medal contest at Paris Olympics last year, seeks to regain form after securing just one quarterfinal placement in six events this season, joined by HS Prannoy in men's singles. Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth will not participate following his finale appearance at the Malaysia Masters last week. In women's doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lead the rankings at 10th position, while the mixed doubles team is spearheaded by Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila.

(With inputs from agencies.)