PV Sindhu Leads India's Charge at Malaysia Masters Ahead of Paris Olympics

PV Sindhu, India's two-time Olympic medalist, will lead the Indian contingent at the Malaysia Masters tournament, which commences on Tuesday. The tournament serves as a crucial preparation for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

Sindhu, a former world champion, will be aiming to make a deep run in the women's singles draw of the BWF World Tour Super 500 event. She has skipped the Uber Cup and Thailand Open to focus on this tournament.

The 28-year-old has faced challenges in regaining her top form since recovering from a knee injury in October 2022. However, she has previously won the Malaysia Masters titles in 2013 and 2016. Sindhu is currently ranked fifth in the world and will face Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour, ranked 22nd, in her opening match on Wednesday.

Sindhu's return from injury at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February marked her ninth tournament of the year. Her last title victory came at the 2022 Singapore Open.

Joining Sindhu in the women's singles main draw are junior players Ashmita Chaliha, Unnati Hooda, and Aakarshi Kashyap.

In the men's singles, HS Prannoy, the defending champion, will not be present to defend his title. Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth have also withdrawn. In their absence, Kiran George, ranked 36th in the world, will lead the Indian challenge.

India's top-ranked men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who won the Thailand Open 2024 last week, will also be absent from the competition. The lone Indian pair competing in the men's doubles in Malaysia is Krishna Prasad Garaga-Sai Pratheek K.

Tags: #PV, Sindhu, #Malaysia, Masters, #Badminton