Another year and the Indian shuttlers are all set to challenge for the All England Open Championships, which is also a BWF Super 1000 event, in Birmingham this year. The tournament is set to start on 11th March and will conclude on 16th March. This tournament is the oldest badminton competition in the world, and it has always been difficult for Indian players to achieve victory here. So far, only Pullela Gopichand (2001) and Prakash Padukone (1980) have managed to win this tournament, and both titles came in men’s singles. Recently, only Lakshya Sen has managed to make it into the finals, that too in 2022. The Indian shuttlers will try to end the drought that has lasted for 24 years.
Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu, and Satwik-Chirag to lead Indian contingent
India’s star players, Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu, and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will lead the Indian contingent in the tournament. Surprisingly, Satwik and Chirag are the only seeded players, while all the other players made their way as unseeded ones.
Looking at the larger picture, India is sending a team of 4 singles players and 7 doubles teams to compete. The singles players from India are Malvika Bansod, HS Prannoy, and Lakshya Sen. In men’s doubles, Satwik and Chirag will play, and in women’s doubles, the teams of Tanisha Crasto-Ashwini Ponnappa, Priya Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra, and Treesa Jolly-Gayathri Gopichand will lead the charge.
What to expect from India in the All England Open?
This year, Indian players are entering the tournament with low expectations. None of the players going into the All England Open have won any BWF title this year. However, the top shuttlers have been preparing for this big tournament, and we can expect some close encounters from Satwik & Chirag in men’s doubles. Lakshya Sen and P.V. Sindhu will be facing tough opponents in the early stages, which will make their path difficult. Check the All England Open draws here.
