 "Seven Indian shuttlers, including two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, qualify for Paris 2024")
Seven Indian shuttlers, including former world champion and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, have qualified for this years Paris Olympics across four categories on the basis of their Olympic Games Qualification Rankings on Monday.
Sindhu and ace men’s singles shuttlers HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen had already sealed their passage to the Olympics that takes place in the French capital from 26 July to 11 August, and the confirmation that came in on Monday was but a mere formality.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) had earlier set Monday, 29 April as the cut off date for qualification on the basis of said rankings.
As per the criteria, the top-16 shuttlers in men’s and women’s singles based on their Olympic Games Qualification ranking on the cutoff date book their tickets to the quadrennial showpiece.
Sindhu, who had won a historic silver in Rio 2016 followed by a bronze in Tokyo 2020, was placed 12th in women’s singles while Prannoy and Sen were placed ninth and 13th respectively in men’s singles.
The crack men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty was placed third at the end of the Olympic qualification cycle and will go into the Olympics as one of the best medal hopes for the country in badminton.
In women’s doubles, the Indian pair of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa made the grade after finishing 13th at the end of the qualification cycle. The other Indian women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand missed out.
India have won a total of three Olympic medals in badminton — all of them in women’s singles. Before Sindhu won medals in consecutive editions, Saina Nehwal had won bronze in the 2012 London Olympics.
India had sent four shuttlers across three categories in the Tokyo Games in 2021, with B Sai Praneeth India’s lone representative in men’s singles besides Sindhu in women’s singles and Satwik-Chirag in men’s doubles.
While Sindhu won bronze, Sai Praneeth failed to advance to the Elimination Round after losing both of his matches in the Group Stage. Satwik-Chirag too couldn’t advance beyond the Group Stage despite winning two out of three games.
With PTI inputs
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