Badminton

Former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth is set to make his long-awaited return to badminton at the Macau Open, starting Tuesday. The 31-year-old Indian has been sidelined since suffering an injury during the Singapore Open in May.Srikanth, who is seeded sixth for the BWF Super 300 event, will be joined by a 23-member Indian contingent. The contingent includes promising shuttler Malvika Bansod, who recently reached the quarterfinals of the China Open. However, Bansod has withdrawn from the Macau Open.In Srikanth's absence, India's hopes in the men's singles competition will rest on the shoulders of Mithun Manjunath, Sameer Verma, and Ayush Shetty.In the women's singles, Anupama Upadhyaya, Tanya Hemanth, and Tasnim Mir will be the Indian representatives.India's best chance for a podium finish lies in the women's doubles competition, where Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly are seeded third. The duo reached the semifinals of the Singapore Open BWF Super 750 event earlier this year.Commonwealth Games medalists N Sikki Reddy and B Sumeeth Reddy will lead India's charge in the mixed doubles competition.Notably, two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will not be participating in the Macau Open.The tournament will conclude on Sunday, November 27.

Indian Paralympians Shine in Paris, Badminton Star Sivarajan Solaimalai ImpressesThe Indian contingent at the Paris 2024 Paralympics has made a strong start, returning with four medals on Friday. While not all athletes have secured podium finishes, many have showcased exceptional performances, including badminton star Sivarajan Solaimalai.In a men's singles SH6 group play stage match against Hong Kong's Man Kai Chu, Solaimalai displayed remarkable skill and determination. A video of the match has gone viral, capturing the duo's intense rally and awe-inspiring shots.Indian para shuttlers have performed exceptionally well on Day 3 of the Paralympic Badminton event, with several advancing to the next stages. In the men's SL3 category, Kumar Nitesh dominated China's Yang Jianyuan, securing a straight-sets victory. Suhas L Yathiraj also impressed in the SL4 category, defeating Korea's Shin Kyung Hwan in a thrilling match.The women's category has also seen strong performances. Thulsimathi Murugesan and Nithya Sre both booked their spots in the semifinals with impressive victories. However, Mansi Joshi, Manoj Sarkar, and Palak Kohli faced tough opponents and were unable to advance.Despite these setbacks, India's athletes remain focused and determined. This year's contingent is the largest ever, with 84 athletes competing across 12 sports. India aims to surpass its previous achievements in Tokyo, where it won 19 medals, including five golds.

The Paris Olympics 2024 have been a rollercoaster of emotions for India, with both triumphs and disappointments. The Indian contingent has secured five medals so far, including four bronze and one silver. However, there have been some near misses and controversies that have left a bittersweet taste.One of the most heartbreaking moments came in the women's 50kg freestyle wrestling final, where Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight. This shattered her hopes of a medal and left the Indian contingent in shock.Another disappointment came in badminton, where India's medal hopes were pinned on Lakshya Sen. However, he lost the bronze medal match, leaving India without a medal in the sport. This led to criticism from former badminton player Prakash Padukone, who called on the players to take responsibility for their losses.However, this statement sparked a debate, with some players criticizing Padukone for blaming Lakshya. Olympics Expert Tejaswin Shankar argued that coaches should also take responsibility for their players' performances.Despite these setbacks, India has had some notable successes. Neeraj Chopra won a silver medal in the men's javelin throw, becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in athletics since 1900. The Indian women's hockey team also made history by reaching the semifinals for the first time.The Paris Olympics 2024 have been a testament to the resilience and determination of the Indian athletes. While there have been disappointments, there have also been moments of triumph. The Indian contingent will continue to strive for success in the remaining events, hoping to add to their medal tally and make the nation proud.