Sai, Srikanth to spearhead Indian challenge for Badminton Asia Team Championship

By Harpal Singh Bedi

Jan 31, 2020
New Delhi : World Championship bronze medallist B Sai Praneeth and former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth will spearhead a full-strength Indian men’s team challenge at the Badminton Asia Team Championships to be played in Manila, Philippines from February 11-16,

However, the up and coming group of shuttlers have been given a chance to showcase their prowess in the women’s section .

The Indian men’s team, which won the bronze medal in Hyderabad in 2016, will includes HS Prannoy, Subhankar Dey and Lakshya Sen in the squad.

With Olympic qualification being the top priority, the event will give India’s elite men’s players a chance to garner crucial points ahead of the mega quadrennial Games.

In the doubles events, the fast improving pair of Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun would be looking to impress everyone in the tournament and also compliment the Thailand Open champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in the team championships.

In the women’s team event, rising youngsters will be fielded as the senior players are concentrating on their Olympic preparations.

South Asian Games gold medallist Ashmita Chaliha, fast improving Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap and Gayatri Gopichand will make the singles unit.

Senior national champions Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam along with the experienced K Maneesha and Rutaparna Panda make up the doubles combinations.

Squad

Men: B Sai Praneeth, K Srikanth, HS Prannoy, Subhankar Dey, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun

Women: Ashmita Chaliha, Aakarshi Kashyap, Malvika Bansod, Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Bhat, Shikha Gautam, Rutaparna Panda and K Maneesha.