India Prepares for Badminton Asia Championships 2025 Amid Major Withdrawals
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The <b>Badminton Asia Championships 2025</b> in <b>Ningbo, China</b>, sees Indian players gearing up to compete despite notable withdrawals. Key players like <b>Lakshya Sen</b>, <b>HS Prannoy</b>, and <b>PV Sindhu</b> lead the charge, aiming for a strong performance amidst challenges.
Key Takeaways
- Badminton Asia Championships 2025 begins in Ningbo, China.
- Several top players from India are absent due to withdrawals.
- Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, and PV Sindhu are key players for India.
- Prize pool for the tournament is USD 500,000.
- The tournament runs until April 13.
Ningbo (China), April 7 (NationPress) As the Badminton Asia Championships 2025 commences on Tuesday in Ningbo, China, a diverse array of seasoned veterans and emerging talents from India are set to embark on their continental journey with aspirations for a robust performance.
However, the Indian lineup will be without several key players, with significant absences including the women's doubles World No. 9 duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, along with the reigning men's doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
Despite these challenges, the Indian challenge will be led by the formidable trio of Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, and PV Sindhu — all eager to recover from a series of inconsistent results in recent months.
India’s top two men’s singles players, Lakshya (World No. 18) and Prannoy (World No. 17), will headline the singles draw. Sen, a bronze medallist at the 2021 World Championships, begins his journey against Lee Chia-Hao of Chinese Taipei, a finalist at the All England Championships this season. Prannoy, still regaining his full form after battling chikungunya, faces a challenging opener against Guang Zu Lu from China.
The Indian contingent also features Kiran George (World No. 34) and Priyanshu Rajawat (World No. 35). George will face a qualifier, while Rajawat is set to compete against Kantaphon Wangcharoen from Thailand.
In the women’s singles, PV Sindhu returns to the court seeking momentum after dropping to World No. 17. The two-time Olympic medallist begins her campaign against Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo from Indonesia. However, the path forward looks difficult for the remaining Indian players.
Emerging talents Malvika Bansod (World No. 23), Anupama Upadhyaya (World No. 43), and Aakarshi Kashyap (World No. 48) face significant challenges ahead. Anupama will clash with Ratchanok Intanon, a former world champion and eighth seed from Thailand. Bansod faces a tough opponent in Fang Jie Gao from China, while Kashyap has drawn second seed Yue Han of China in her first match.
With Jolly and Gopichand withdrawing, India’s women’s doubles representation will be led by the team of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra. They will take on Shuo Yun Sung and Chien Hui Yu from Chinese Taipei.
In the men’s doubles category, India fields two relatively unknown pairs — Hariharan Amsakarunan/Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy/Sai Pratheek. They will aim to create some surprises and gain valuable experience on the grand stage.
The mixed doubles category showcases a fresh mix of youth and potential with four Indian pairs in competition. Rohan Kapoor partners with Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, while Sathish Kumar Karunakaran teams up with Aadya Variyath. Experienced duo Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto are also in action, alongside Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh.
This year’s Badminton Asia Championships, with a prize pool of USD 500,000, will continue until April 13.
