Hyderabad:Expectations from Indian badminton have soared exponentially since Saina Nehwal broke onto the scene. Players have been scrutinised more than ever, newspapers have them interviewed unfailingly, and knowers of the sport are dissecting, breaking and analysing their game like never before -- all this, expectedly, for a medal in the Olympics.
And now that the Tokyo Games is less than a week away, India will be expecting to add to their tally a few more in badminton, a sport that can now be designated as India's second favourite after cricket.
Even coaches Pullela Gopichand and Vimal Kumar during their interactions with Etv Bharat have been boisterous about Indian team's performances.
Etv Bharat takes a look at their profile, past performances and their chances of landing at the podium.
PV Sindhu (Women's Singles)
Age:25 years,
World Ranking:7
Achievements:
World Championships:Gold in Women's singles at BWF World Championships, 2019
Silver medal in Women’s singles, 2017 Glasgow
Silver medal in Women’s singles, 2018 Nanjing
Bronze medal in Women’s singles, 2013 Copenhagen
Bronze medal in Women’s singles, 2014 Guangzhou
Asian Games:Silver medal in Women's singles, 2018 Jakarta–Palembang
Bronze medal – Women’s team, 2014 Incheon
Asian Championships:Bronze medal in Women’s singles, 2014 Gimcheon
Uber Cup:Bronze medal in Women’s team, 2014 New Delhi
Bronze medal in Women’s team, 2016 Kunshan
Commonwealth Games:Gold medal in Mixed team, 2018 Gold Coast
Silver medal in Women’s singles, 2018 Gold Coast
Bronze medal in Women’s singles, 2014 Glasgow
-- A big match player! After making the country proud at the World Championships in 2019, Sindhu would be desperate to remove the tag of runners up at the Rio Olympics to finally have a taste of Gold.
Currently placed at number seven in the world rankings, the 25-year-old has been nothing short of a sensation since she burst onto the scene in the badminton circuit.
Her massive list of achievements include -- 3 World Championships finals, Individual silver and team bronze at Asian Games, Silver at Commonwealth Games, among others. Sindhu will be a player to watch out for considering her penchant to perform in elite tournaments.
B Sai Praneeth (Men's Singles)
Age:28
World Ranking:15
Achievements:Bronze in BWF World Championships, 2019
Gold in 2017 Thailand Open (Men's Singles)
BWF Super Series title in Men’s singles, 2017 Singapore Super Series
BWF Grand Prix title in Men’s singles, 2016 Canada Open
Gold in Mens’ singles, 2016 South Asian Games
Bronze in Men’s singles, 2016 Asian Team Championships
-- Sindhu did steal the show at BWF World Championships in 2019, but Praneeth was no less as he became the first Indian male badminton player after legendary Prakash Padukone achieved the feat in 1983 to clinch a bronze.
Praneeth made rapid strides just after two years of coaching at Gopichand Badminton Academy. At 18, he became a Bronze-medallist after a spectacular show at the BWF Junior World Championships, Mexico.
His list of achievements speaks for itself. Praneeth pulled off a stunner in 2013 Thailand Open Grand Prix where he beat 2003 All England Champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia in a three-match action-packed contest.
A few years later, he would beat Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei, an Olympic medallist at All England Open in 2016. The Hyderabadi shuttler will hope to take his performance a notch higher and return India with a medal.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (Men's Doubles)
Age:20 years
World Ranking:10
Achievements:Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2019 Thailand Open
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2019 Brazil International
France Open: Silver in Men’s Doubles, 2019
Asian Badminton Championships:Bronze in Team, 2016, Hyderabad
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2016, Mauritius
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2016 Bangladesh
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2016 Tata Open India International
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2017, Vietnam
Bronze in Team, 2016, China
Bronze in Team, 2020 Manila
Commonwealth Games:Gold in Mixed Team, 2018
Silver in Men’s Doubles, 2018
-- Not many players decide on becoming a double specialist. But Satwiksairaj Rankireddy did after he joined Gopichand Academy back in 2014. Forming partnership with Chirag Shetty began the saga filled with beautifully crafted achievements that saw him win multiple tournaments.
One of his biggest achievements along with Shetty includes win at the Thailand Open. In an interview back in February this year with Etv Bharat, coach Vimal Kumar did predict a medal from the duo Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty. Other experts too have predicted them to emerge as a dark horse in the Olympics.
Chirag Shetty (Men's Doubles)
Age:23 years
World Ranking:10
Achievements:Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2019 Thailand Open
Silver in Men’s Doubles, 2019 France Open.
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2019 Brazil International
Commonwealth Games:Gold in Mixed Team, 2018 Commonwealth Games
Silver in Men’s Doubles, 2018 Commonwealth Games
Asian Badminton Championships:Bronze – Team, 2016, Hyderabad
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2016 Bangladesh
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2016 Tata Open India International
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2016, Mauritius
Gold in Men’s Doubles, 2017, Vietnam
-- Having won eight games and losing out on four this year, Chirag forms a formidable partnership with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy with a realistic chance of returning India with a medal. In Men's Doubles, the pair is ranked 10th.
Training along with his doubles partner Rankireddy under the wings of coach Mathias Boe has helped the duo a great deal in the technical department of the game. In the last few years, the pair has found themselves training under three coaches -- Malaysia’s Kim Tan Her, Indonesian Flandy Limpele, and Boe -- and Chirag has taken the transition in his stride as he claims to pick positives out of everyone.
The second wave of the pandemic did wreak havoc on his family after he lost his grandfather. And it was the dream of playing in Olympics that kept him moving forward. It's time that he reap rewards for the hard work.
--Ayushmaan Pandey
