PV Sindhu, and Satwik-Chirag among the players announced by BAI for Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) unveiled its squads for the upcoming Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 on January 9. The biennial event is scheduled to take place in Shah Alam, Malaysia, from February 13 to 18. India could not send its main players due to various reasons last time around, but has announced a full-strength team this year.
The men's team comprises World No. 8 HS Prannoy, Canada Open winner Lakshya Sen, former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, and national champion Chirag Sen in the singles category. The doubles lineup for the team is equally impressive, featuring the World No. 2 duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, alongside Dhruv Kapila, MR Arjun, and national championship winners Suraj Goala and Pruthvi Roy.
The women's team, led by two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, boasts a rather young singles lineup with 16-year-old Anmol Kharb, 15-year-old Tanvi Sharma, and Ashmita Chaliha. However, in the doubles category, experienced players like All England semi-finalists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, World No. 24 and the in-form pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, along with national champions Priya Devi Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, complete a well-rounded ensemble.
India looks to better performance
The Badminton Asia Team Championships is a biennial event, with the mixed team championship held in the intervening years.
The last edition of the team event in 2022 did not go too favorably for India. In the Men's Team Championship, India faced a challenging group alongside Korea, Hong Kong, and eventual runners-up Indonesia. Despite a valiant effort, the team narrowly lost to Indonesia (2-3), secured a victory against Hong Kong (3-2), and suffered another defeat against Korea (0-5), finishing third in the group.
However, key players like HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and Chirag Shetty were absent, impacting India's performance.
The women's team also faced a tough draw in 2022, with Malaysia and Japan in their group. The women’s team suffered losses against both Malaysia (2-3) and Japan (1-4), ultimately finishing at the bottom of the group.
Similar to the men's team, crucial players such as PV Sindhu, Ashwini Ponnappa, and the now formidable doubles players Gayatri Gopichand, Treesa Jolly, and Tanisha Crasto were missing from action.
While some important players were absent from India’s teams last time around, their presence in the squad for the 2024 edition of the Badminton Asia Championships will boost the chances of the team performing better.
The complete squad for the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024
Men’s squad:
Singles: HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Chirag Sen
Doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun, Suraj Goala, and Pruthvi Roy
Women’s squad:
Singles: PV Sindhu, Anmol Kharb, Tanvi Sharma, and Ashmita Chaliha
Doubles: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, Priya Devi Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra