Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy, will spearhead the 16-member strong Indian challenge in the World Badminton Championship to be held from August 21 to 27 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
16th seed Sindhu, is the only Indian in World Championships women’s singles draw as Olympics bronze medalist Saina Nehwal’s has opted out of the event.
The 2019 world champion, silver medalist in 2017 and 2018 and bronze medal winner in 2013 and 2014, Sindhu is India’s most successful player in the history of the world championships.
However, she has struggled for form this year, failing to get past the opening round in seven of her 14 BWF World Tour tournaments his season.
HS Prannoy is the best-seeded Indian in men’s singles at nine, followed by Lakshya Sen – the 11th seed. Both are former bronze medal winners at the competition. Kidambi Srikanth, who won the silver at Huelva 2021 and is the only Indian male player to ever make the final at the world championships, is unseeded in the draw.
The in-form Indian duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are the second seeds in men’s doubles behind Indonesian pair Fajar Alfian Muhammad Rian Ardianto – the reigning All England champions.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are the 16th seeds in women’s doubles.
Squad:
Men’s singles: HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Women’s singles: PV Sindhu
Men’s doubles: Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, MR Arjun/Dhruv Kapila
Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Bhat K/Shikha Gautam
Mixed doubles: Rohan Kapoor/N Sikki Reddy, Venkat Prasad/Juhi Dewangan