2024 Paris Olympics Badminton: PV Sindhu handed easy draw in group stage

PV Sindhu will begin her campaign at the Paris Olympics later this month, and she's been handed an easy start. The Indian has been placed in Group M alongside Estonia's Kristin Kuuba and Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq from Maldives.

Sindhu will head into these Games as a two-time medalist, having finished on the podium each time she's participated in the marquee event. The 29-year-old made her Olympic debut in 2016, entering as the ninth seed and walking away with silver after an epic final battle with Carolina Marin.

At the Tokyo Olympics, PV Sindhu entered the competition as the reigning World Champion and sixth seed. She settled for a third-place finish after falling to beat Tai Tzu Ying in the semis. She got the better of He Bingjiao in the bronze-medal match.

The shuttler enters the Paris Olympics on the back of a run of mediocre performances but is still seeded tenth. The Indian's easy start on paper should give her some time to acquaint herself with the slow courts of the Adidas Arena in Paris.

Paris Olympics 2024: How PV Sindhu has fared against her group stage opponents

PV Sindhu is expected to get two wins upon her entry at the Paris Olympics, with the shuttler having a significant advantage over both Kristin Kuuba and Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq. While she has never played either, Kuuba is currently the World No. 75 and Razzaq is ranked 111th in the world, much lower than Sindhu.

With plenty of Olympic experience on her side, Sindhu can expect to sail through her first round in Paris with ease. The Indian will next move on to the Round of 16.

While Sindhu heads into these Games without having won a title for nearly two years now, her previous performances at the Olympics prove she can never be counted out of the running when it comes to winning a medal at the marquee event.

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