New Delhi: Star Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will headline India’s largest-ever badminton contingent at the India Open 750 badminton tournament. The Yonex-Sunrise India Open will begin on January 14 and both the players will be part of the Indian contingent which will feature 21 players.
The tournament will feature top badminton players like Olympic champions Viktor Axelsen, An Se Young, and world number one Shi Yuqi leading the field, in what is expected to be an exciting action at the Indira Gandhi Stadium. Axelsen, who had withdrawn from the last year’s edition after falling ill while playing in the Malaysia Open, is fit and fine for the January event.
Remarkable sign of growth in Indian badminton
With so many Indian players competing in a Super 750 event, it displays a stupendous growth and elevation in the Indian badminton sphere on the world stage. The percentage of youth going in for the sport is increasing day by day in the country as India is giving birth to enthusiasts who are more inclined towards badminton.
Meanwhile, a total of 21 Indian players will include three men’s singles, four women’s singles, two men’s doubles, eight women’s doubles, and four mixed doubles pairs, who will compete in the USD 950,000 BWF World Tour event. The event offers 11000 ranking point for the champions and is considered one of the coveted events in the game around the globe.
Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, Badminton Association of India, said in a release: “This is just the beginning— 2025 promises to be a year where more names will feature alongside the established names, while fresh faces will emerge and shine bringing glory and pride to India.”
The event, which got elevated to Super 750 category in 2023, had seen 14 Indian entries in the past two editions, with Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy being the highlights aftre theyr reached the men’s doubles final clash and HS Prannoy storming into the men’s singles semifinals last year.
The tournament, which was elevated to Super 750 category in 2023, saw India field 14 entries in the past two editions, and India’s highlights were Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy reaching the men’s doubles final and HS Prannoy making the men’s singles semifinals in 2024. Apart from Satwik-Chirag, country’s hopes will also rely on former champion Sen and Olympic medallist Sindhu.
(With PTI inputs)
The tournament will feature star badminton players like Olympic champions Viktor Axelsen, An Se Young, and world number one Shi Yuqi. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
