 "Lakshya Sen has a tough draw in the men's singles event at the Paris Olympics. AP File Photo")
The badminton draw for the Paris Olympics 2024 took place in Kuala Lumpur on Friday and brought a mixed bag for Indian shuttlers.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (men’s doubles), PV Sindhu (women’s singles), HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen (men’s singles), and Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa (women’s doubles) are in contention at the Paris Olympics .
Sindhu and Prannoy have an easy start, on paper, in their groups, but Lakshya in the form of World No. 3 Jonatan Christie, who is in the same draw.
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Sindhu will have to overcome two Chinese opponents to reach the podium for the third consecutive Olympics, with the possibility of an early all-Indian clash in men’s singles.
The draw for Satwik and Chirag, strong contenders for a medal, was postponed due to a CAS hearing in a French team’s chances.
Women’s singles - PV Sindhu
In women’s singles, Sindhu (world no. 13) heads Group M alongside opponents from Estonia (Kristin Kuba) and Maldives (Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq).
The real challenge kicks in from the Round of 16 with China’s He Bing Jiao her likely opponent. Jiao leads their head-to-head 11-9. If Sindhu does get the better of her, a potential quarter-final with China’s defending Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei looms.
Men’s singles - HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen
World No. 13 Prannoy is placed in Group K, while World No.19 Lakshya faces stiff competition in Group L alongside Jonatan Christie among his opponents.
Prannoy should not have trouble progressing from the group stage comprising Vietnam’s Le Duc Phat and Germany’s Fabian Roth. If he does, an all-Indian Round of 16 could await him - if Sen gets there.
And that is where the big challenge lies. Lakshya will have a tough task with World No. 3 and All England champion Christie in his group. The Indonesian has a 4-1 head-to-head lead and won their two meetings this year. Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon, who surprised everyone at the Tokyo Olympics, can also ring in a surprise.
Women’s doubles - Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa
For women’s doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa (World no. 19) face tough competition in Group C, including higher-ranked pairs from Japan (World No. 4 Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida) and South Korea (World No. 7 Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong).
The badminton events at the Paris Olympics begin on July 27 and continue through the group stages until July 31.