Asian Team Championships: PV Sindhu returns, HS Prannoy to lead India

New Delhi: Recovering from a knee injury, double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will return to action at the Asian Team Championships as she was on Tuesday named in the Indian squad for the prestigious tournament. Sindhu, who suffered a knee injury at the French Open last year and has been out of action since, and World No. 8 HS Prannoy will spearhead a strong Indian squad at the continental championships slated to be held in Shah Alam, Malaysia from 13-19 February. Exclusive: PV Sindhu recalls sustaining knee injury during 2023 French Open tournament The team event will be important for Indian shuttlers to gain valuable qualification points in the Race to Paris Olympic qualification. Besides Sindhu, the 16-year-old senior national champion Anmol Kharb, Asia Junior Championships medallist Tanvi Sharma and Ashmita Chaliha have been named in the women’s singles category. Sen brothers make it to national team While Prannoy, who won his first World Championships medal and World Tour title at Malaysia Masters, will lead the men’s team, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lakshya Sen and former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth were also named in the squad. Lakshya has another reason to celebrate as his elder brother Chirag will also be there in the team, rewarded for his title-winning run at the Senior National Championships in Guwahati last month. Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand pair, who helped the Indian team clinch a historic bronze medal last year at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2023 in Dubai, will contest in women’s doubles. The remaining two pairs include Guwahati Masters champions Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto alongside reigning senior national champions Priya Devi Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra. Having won six titles in 2023, including gold medals at Asian Games and Asian Championships, along with Indonesia Open Super 1000, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty will shoulder the men’s doubles responsibility. The former World No. 1 duo will have the support of senior national champion pair Suraj Goala-Pruthvi Roy and Dhruv Kapila-M R Arjun. The Indian men’s team has previously won bronze medals in the 2016 and 2018 editions of the team event. “With the Olympic games a few months away, this is one of the most important events for our shuttlers considering the Paris Olympic qualification,” said Badminton Association of India (BAI) General Secretary Sanjay Mishra in a release. “We have rewarded the senior national champions as well, with call-up for team India. These are very strong Indian sides, who are capable of going all the way and I am sure they will script history at the prestigious team event.” India squad: Men’s Team: Prannoy HS, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Chirag Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila, M R Arjun, Suraj Goala, Pruthvi Roy Women’s Team: PV Sindhu, Anmol Kharb, Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa, Tanisha Crasto, Priya Devi Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra.