Badminton

PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, and Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand emerged victorious in the opening round of the Singapore Open Super 750 Badminton Tournament on Wednesday. However, Lakshya Sen faced a disappointing defeat against world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen.Sindhu, a former Singapore Open champion, defeated world No. 21 Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark 21-12, 22-20 in a 44-minute encounter. She will now face Rio Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain, who holds an 11-5 record against the Indian.Prannoy overcame a spirited challenge from Julien Carraggi of Belgium 21-9, 18-21, 21-9 to set up a meeting with Japan's Kenta Nishimoto. Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Jolly and Gopichand notched up a 21-7, 21-14 win over Cheng Yu-Pei and Sun Yu Hsing of Chinese Taipei in women's doubles.However, Lakshya Sen, who will make his Olympic debut in Paris, fought hard but lost 13-21, 21-16, 13-21 to Axelsen in a 62-minute battle. Kidambi Srikanth's opening round match ended in agony as he retired due to a knee injury after lagging 14-21, 3-11 against Japan's fifth seed Kodai Naraoka.In other results, Olympic-bound women's combination Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa lost 21-18, 19-21, 19-21 to Ukraine's Polina Buhrova and Yevheniia Kantemyr. Men's pair Krishna Prasad Garage and Sai Pratheek K suffered a 16-21, 22-24 loss to second seeded Chinese Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy lost 18-21, 19-21 to Malaysia's Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie in mixed doubles, while Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan lost 8-21, 8-21 against Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch.

World No. 1 Indian badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a disappointing first-round exit at the Singapore Open Super 750 tournament on Tuesday. The top-seeded pair, who were among the favorites for the gold medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics, fell to Denmark's Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard in a closely contested match.Despite their impressive victory at the Thailand Open Super 500 earlier this month, Satwik and Chirag struggled to find their rhythm against the Danish duo. The match went down to the wire, with both pairs exchanging thrilling rallies. However, Lundgaard and Vestergaard ultimately prevailed, winning 20-22, 18-21 in a 47-minute encounter.The defeat marked a disappointing start for India at the Singapore Open. Aakarshu Kashyap, ranked 41st in the world, was outplayed by Thailand's Pornpicha Choeikeewong in the women's singles competition, losing 7-21, 15-21. Priyanshu Rajawat also faced a tough challenge in the men's singles, narrowly losing 21-23, 19-21 to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu.In the women's doubles, the Indian pair of Rutuparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda fought valiantly but ultimately fell short against Chinese Taipei's Chang Ching Hui and Yang Ching Tun, losing 12-21, 21-12, 13-21. Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh also suffered a defeat in the mixed doubles, losing 8-21, 17-21 to Hong Kong's Lee CHun Hei Reginald and Ng Tsz Yau.Despite the setbacks, India's top shuttlers, including PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and HS Prannoy, will begin their campaigns on Wednesday. They will be hoping to put up a strong performance and bring home some medals for India.

India's badminton ace PV Sindhu will lead the Indian contingent at the Singapore Badminton Open 2024 BWF Super 750 tournament, aiming to break her title drought in Singapore after her recent triumph at the Malaysia Masters. Sindhu will be joined by India's top-ranked men's doubles pair, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who will be seeking their third title of the season after victories at the French and Thailand Open.The Singapore Badminton Open 2024 will feature a star-studded lineup, headlined by reigning Olympic singles champions Viktor Axelsen and Chen Yufei. Axelsen, the world No. 1, will be looking to build on his momentum after winning the Malaysia Masters men's singles title. He will face India's Lakshya Sen, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, in his opening match.Tenth-ranked Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia will be aiming for a hat-trick of finals after reaching the title deciders in Thailand and Malaysia this month. Two-time defending Singapore Open men's singles champion Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia will be the seventh seed, while his compatriot Jonatan Christie, the reigning All England champion, is seeded third.The home challenge will be led by former world champion Loh Kean Yew, who will face China's Lu Guangzu in his opening match. In the women's singles, reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei and Rio 2016 gold medalist Carolina Marin are seeded second and third, respectively.China's Wang Zhiyi, who defeated Sindhu to win the Malaysia Masters title last week, will be the seventh seed. In women's doubles, Tokyo 2020 silver medal winners Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan of China are the No. 1 seeds.The Singapore Badminton Open 2024 promises to be a thrilling tournament with a world-class field of players. Sindhu, Axelsen, and Chen will be among the favorites to win their respective titles, but they will face stiff competition from a host of other top players.

PV Sindhu's long-awaited return to a final has been secured after a hard-fought victory in the semi-finals of the Malaysia Masters. The two-time Olympic medalist overcame a slow start to defeat Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan in a marathon match that lasted over an hour.Despite having a 17-1 record against Ongbamrungphan, Sindhu struggled initially, losing the first game 13-21. However, she regained her composure in the second game, keeping the shuttle in play and avoiding risky shots. The momentum shifted in Sindhu's favor in the third game, as she raced to an 8-2 lead. Ongbamrungphan's errors and fatigue became evident as the match progressed.Sindhu's determination was evident in her loud screams of exultation as she approached victory. She expressed her satisfaction with her performance, noting that she had not reached a final since the 2023 Spain Masters."I am playing her after a very long time. She is playing a very good game. There were really long rallies and both of us didn't give up till the last minute. I was just keeping the shuttle in court however long the rallies went. Every point was important for both of us," Sindhu said.In the final, Sindhu will face Chinese second seed Wang Zhi Yi, against whom she holds a 2-1 record. Sindhu acknowledged the challenge ahead, emphasizing the importance of strategy and execution."She is in the top 10. It is not going to be easy. Result is secondary, what matters is how I play against her, how I keep the shuttle in court, the strategy I use. I am sure she must have seen my match. I am happy to be in a final but it is not over yet. There is still a match to go," Sindhu said.Sindhu's victory marks a significant milestone in her preparation for the upcoming Olympics. She expressed confidence in her ability to perform well and is eager to continue building momentum.

PV Sindhu's return to the badminton circuit has been a gradual process, but the two-time Olympic medalist is slowly regaining her form. After a four-month absence due to a left knee injury, Sindhu made her comeback in February and has since helped India win the Badminton Asia Team Championships. However, she has struggled against top players in individual tournaments, entering the $420,000 Malaysia Masters with an unimpressive 10-6 win-loss record.But in Kuala Lumpur, Sindhu is beginning to find her groove. She defeated Chinese top seed Han Yue in the quarterfinals, her first semi-final appearance in seven months. The fifth-seeded Sindhu took 55 minutes to move past the world No. 6, 21-13, 14-21, 21-12. It was Sindhu's sixth victory in seven meetings over Han, who reached the final of the Thailand Open last week."The third game was crucial for both of us," Sindhu said. "From the first rally, I made sure I was in the game focused and didn't give away easy points. I was in control and I was confident of winning. I'm happy with how I played because I lost our last match. It's a shame as I was leading, but this is like a sweet revenge."Sindhu will take on Thai Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the semifinals, against whom the Indian has an overwhelming 17-1 record. However, it was the end of the road for Ashmita Chaliha, who lost 10-21, 15-21 to Chinese sixth seed Zhang Yi Man.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports' Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has extended financial support to Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen and other elite athletes in their preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics.Lakshya Sen, who will represent India in the men's singles event in Paris, will undergo a 12-day training stint in Marseille, France, from July 8 to 21. The training session will be held at The Halle des Sports Parsemain, where Sen will work with his coach and support staff.MOC has also approved double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu's proposal to train in Saarbrucken, Germany, for over a month. Sindhu will train at the Hermann-Neuberger Sportschule with her coach and support staff before heading to Paris.Under the Ministry's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), MOC has sanctioned funding for the athletes' airfare, boarding/lodging costs, local transportation charges, Visa Fees, and shuttlecock expenses.In addition to Sen and Sindhu, MOC has approved support for other athletes, including table tennis player Sreeja Akula, archer Tisha Punia, golfer Aditi Ashok, and swimmer Aryan Nehra. TOPS will fund their airfare, accommodation, local transportation, equipment (for Akula and Nehra), and caddy fee (for Ashok).MOC has also expanded its TOPS Core group by including table tennis player Harmeet Desai and the Women's 4x400 Relay Team. Wrestlers Nisha (68kg) and Reetika (76kg) have been promoted to the Core group.Furthermore, promising golfer Kartik Singh has been inducted into TOPS Development, with a focus on the 2028 and 2032 Olympics in Los Angeles and Brisbane, respectively.These initiatives demonstrate the government's commitment to supporting elite athletes in their pursuit of Olympic glory. The financial assistance and training opportunities provided by MOC will enable these athletes to optimize their preparations and strive for success at the highest level.

Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu overcame a spirited challenge from Korea's Sim Yu Jin to advance to the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament on Thursday. The former world champion, seeded fifth, prevailed in a hard-fought three-game battle, 21-13, 12-21, 21-14, in a match that lasted 59 minutes.Sindhu, who has been struggling to regain her top form since returning from a knee injury last year, faced an early deficit in the opening game. However, she rallied back to take a narrow 11-10 lead at the break. The Indian shuttler then dominated the latter half of the game, winning seven consecutive points to secure the first game.The second game was a more closely contested affair, with both players trading blows. Han managed to take a one-point advantage at the interval and maintained her momentum after the resumption. The Korean surged ahead 14-10 and went on to win seven of the next nine points to level the match.In the decider, Sim once again started strongly, moving to a 5-1 lead. But Sindhu refused to give up and clawed back to level the score at 6-6. The Korean regained a slight advantage at 9-8, but Sindhu seized control and surged ahead 13-9. A five-point burst from 16-14 sealed the victory for the Indian.Sindhu will now face top seed Han Yue in the quarterfinals, a rematch of their encounter at the Asia Badminton Championships last month, which Han won. Sindhu holds a 5-1 head-to-head record against Han, who is now ranked world number 6.In other results from the tournament, the mixed doubles pair of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy lost 9-21, 15-21 to top-seeded Malaysian pair of Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei. In women's doubles, Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker went down 17-21, 11-21 to second-seeded Malaysians Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.

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.

Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have reclaimed their throne as the world's top-ranked men's doubles pair, following their triumph at the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament. The duo's victory in Bangkok marks their second Thailand Open title, having previously won the crown in 2019.In the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings released on Tuesday, 'Sat-Chi' ascended two spots to regain the top rank with 99,670 points. Their victory over China's Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi in the Thailand Open final propelled them past the Chinese pair, who now sit at world number three.The Indian duo's success in Thailand is a testament to their consistent performances on the BWF World Tour. They have now won nine BWF world tour titles, including the French Open in March."Thailand Open has been a special tournament for us," said Satwik after their victory. "We won our first Super 500 crown here and have won many more tournaments thereafter. We are hoping that this victory will start another winning run for us."In the final against Chen and Yi, Satwik and Chirag showcased their dominance, winning in straight sets 21-15, 21-15. "We knew that we could not relax even for a single point against our opponents," said Satwik. "But we played our best game of the tournament today and controlled the situation very well."The Indian pair of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa also made significant progress in the rankings, climbing two spots to reach number 19 after reaching the semifinals of the Thailand Open.Shuttler Meiraba Luwang Masnam, who had a remarkable run in the tournament, reaching the quarterfinals by defeating world number nine HS Prannoy and world number 54 Mads Christensen, also made a significant climb of 13 spots to reach world number 71.