India’s campaign at the Badminton Asia Championships has suffered an early setback with the withdrawal of the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty due to Satwik’s persistent shoulder injury. The defending champions, who had lifted the title in 2023, have been struggling with fitness issues for weeks and had already pulled out of the Swiss Open before their quarterfinal.
“Satwik still has some pain, so they won’t be playing this week,” coach Tan Kim Her told PTI. Their absence leaves a significant gap in India’s campaign, placing the spotlight firmly on the singles players, particularly Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu.
For Lakshya Sen, the tournament represents more than just another shot at a title. India has not won a men’s singles gold at the continental meet since 1965, when Dinesh Khanna stood atop the podium.
The 24-year-old from Almora, coming off a runner-up finish at the All England Championships, will begin his campaign against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu, carrying both momentum and expectation. Sindhu returns after a disrupted European leg, having been stranded in Dubai en route to the All England Championships due to the conflict in West Asia, which forced her withdrawal. She also skipped the Swiss Open to recover and will open her campaign against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching.
India’s men’s singles lineup sees the return of HS Prannoy after a shoulder injury, who will face a qualifier. Kidambi Srikanth takes on Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, while US Open champion Ayush Shetty meets China’s Li Shi Feng.
In women’s singles, apart from Sindhu, Unnati Hooda faces Thailand’s Supanida Katethong, Tanvi Sharma takes on Malaysia’s K. Letshanaa, and Malvika Bansod goes up against Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
Although India’s top men’s doubles pair is absent, the country still has representation across doubles categories. In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M R Arjun face top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae, while P. Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K. take on Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi. In women’s doubles, Ashwini Bhat K. and Shikha Gautam meet Thailand’s Hathaithip Mijad and N. Tungkasatan, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela play China’s Luo Yi and Wang Ting Ge. Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra await a qualifier.
Mixed doubles sees Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani face Malaysia’s Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh take on Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien, and Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto meet Thailand’s P. Horbanluekit and Benyapa Aimsaard.
With Satwik and Chirag out, India’s hopes now rest heavily on its singles stars, and for Lakshya Sen, this tournament is a historic opportunity to end a six-decade wait for men’s singles gold at the Asian Championships.
