Kumamoto (Japan), Nov 10 (NationPress) Leading the charge for India in the men's singles category at the Kumamoto Masters 2025 are top shuttlers Lakshya Sen and H.S. Prannoy. Young talents Ayush Shetty and M. Tharun will also be competing for crucial ranking points as the tournament kicks off on Tuesday.

Lakshya Sen, a semifinalist at the Paris Olympic Games, will commence his journey against local favorite Koki Watanabe, while Prannoy faces Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao in the opening round of this BWF World Tour Super 500 event at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.

With aspirations to secure a spot in the BWF World Tour Finals, Lakshya aims to deliver a strong performance, while it marks Prannoy's first competitive appearance since an injury during the Korea Open in September.

For the 33-year-old Prannoy, the 2025 season has been challenging, as he has not progressed beyond the second round in any of his 14 BWF World Tour events, facing eight first-round eliminations.

Lakshya Sen, who missed the Korea Masters last week, hopes to make a significant impact at the Kumamoto venue this week as he strives for a place in the season-closing World Tour Finals.

Currently ranked 13th in the Race to Finals standings, Lakshya Sen is India's sole viable contender for the prestigious tournament, where the top eight players and doubles teams vie for accolades annually.

A successful run at the Kumamoto Masters will provide Lakshya with essential ranking points, enhancing his chances of qualifying for the season finale.

His 2025 season has seen a mix of early exits alongside a few quarterfinal and semifinal runs, with his best performance being a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open.

In addition to Ayush Shetty, who has clinched a BWF title this year at the US Open, the men's singles draw includes Kiran George and Tharun Mannepalli.

The only Indian representative in women's singles is 17-year-old Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye, who will participate in the qualifiers starting Tuesday. Notably, two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu has ended her season early, while others like Anmol Kharb, Tanya Hemanth, and Shriyanshi Valishetty have also withdrawn from the event.

Naishaa, who portrayed a young Saina Nehwal in the biopic titled Saina, has only previously competed in two Super 100 BWF senior tournaments.

Unfortunately, India will not have representatives in the men's doubles category, as Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have withdrawn from the tournament. The only challenge in mixed doubles comes from the pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde.