Badminton – Sporting India

Jan182022 by Kavin KumarNo Comments

‘AN ITEM TICKED OFF OUR BUCKET LIST’

It might not have had the strongest of draws but for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2022 win counted above all his previous accomplishments. After saving five game points in the final against Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, the Indian duo exploded in delight. “For me it’s a special tournament,” said Rankireddy, struggling to express the enormity of what he felt. “More than the Thailand Open (2019) and the Commonwealth Games (team gold) — I didn’t feel that much excitement on court like this. We’ve won other tournaments, but today was so important. In Indonesia we’ve seen the Minions win almost every tournament in Indonesia, so we wondered why we couldn’t win the India Open. It was there in my bucket list, I really wanted to win this in my career. I’d prepared ...

Jan132022 by Ajith KumarNo Comments

India Open 2022: Kidambi Srikanth, Ashwini Ponnappa among seven to test COVID-positive

Badminton, Breaking News

All seven players, and their respective doubles partners, have been withdrawn from the tournament and their opponents given a walkover. Seven Indian badminton players, including Kidambi Srikanth and Ashwini Ponnappa, tested positive for COVID-19 and have been withdrawn from the India Open 2022. The other players to return a positive COVID test are men’s singles player Mithun Manjunath and doubles players Ritika Thaker, Simran Singhi, Khushi Gupta, and Treesa Jolly. The shuttlers had undergone a mandatory daily COVID test on Tuesday evening and their results returned positive. The partners of the doubles players have been deemed as close contacts and have also been withdrawn from the India Open 2022. Their opponents have been given a walkover to the next round, the quarter-finals. As...

Jan132022 by Ajith KumarNo Comments

PV Sindhu sails into quarter-finals at India Open badminton

Badminton, Breaking News, Trending

PV Sindhu beat Ira Sharma in straight games. Ashmita Chaliha also entered the last eight while Sameer Verma retired due to injury. Former world champion PV Sindhu went through to the quarter-finals of the women’s singles of the India Open 2022 at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi on Thursday. The Indian badminton star beat youngster Ira Sharma 21-10, 21-10 in the round of 16. The match was competitive in the opening stages as Ira Sharma kept pace with PV Sindhu, even taking the lead at one point. However, at 7-7, PV Sindhu surged ahead, never to concede her points lead. The second game was much more straightforward as the two-time Olympic medallist raced to a 14-4 lead before Ira Sharma pulled back a few points. However, no comeback was forthcoming as the world No. 7 wrapp...

Jan112022 by Ajith KumarNo Comments

PV Sindhu cruises into second round at India Open badminton

Badminton, Trending

The top seed beat Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravallli in straight games. Ashmita Chaliha, meanwhile, pulled off an upset win over Evgeniya Kosetskaya in the opening round. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu eased into the second round of the women’s singles of the India Open 2022 at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi on Tuesday. The Indian badminton ace beat compatriot Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli 21-5, 21-16 in just 27 minutes. She will next face either Ira Sharma or Doha Hany in the round of 16. World championships silver-medallist and former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth also cruised into the round of 16 after beating youngster Siril Verma 21-17, 21-10. He will now face Kim Bruun, who got the better of Subhankar Dey in the opening round. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Ashmita Ch...

Jan102022 by Ajith KumarNo Comments

India Open 2022, live streaming: PV Sindhu to kickstart new season at home

Badminton, Trending

PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth are the top seeds in the women’s and men’s singles, respectively. Chirag-Satwik will also be in action. Top seeds PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth will be looking to begin the new badminton season on a high at the India Open 2022, which starts on Tuesday at the KD Jadhav Indoor Sports Hall in New Delhi. Both PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth come on the back of successful individual campaigns in 2021. World No. 7 PV Sindhu won the bronze medal at Tokyo 2020, her second Olympic medal, and a BWF World Tour Finals silver. She also made the final at the Denmark Open and reached the semis at the French Open, Indonesia Open and Indonesia Masters in Bali. PV Sindhu is aiming to win four big tournaments - the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, All England and wo...

Jan102022 by Ajith KumarNo Comments

India Open badminton: B Sai Praneeth out after testing COVID-positive

Badminton, Trending

Dhruv Rawat has also tested positive. A four-member English contingent also withdrew after Sean Vendy tested positive before travelling to India. World No. 18 B Sai Praneeth has been ruled out of the India Open 2022 badminton tournament after he tested positive for COVID-19. Youngster Dhruv Rawat also returned a positive COVID-19 test and cannot play at the event. Both players were tested before travelling to New Delhi, where the tournament will be held from Tuesday. More pull outs are feared. B Sai Praneeth was seeded second in the men’s singles and was drawn against Spaniard Luis Enrique Penalver in the opening round. Penalver will now get a bye. Former world championship bronze medallist B Sai Praneeth is the second big Indian shuttler to pull out from the India Open after P...

Jan82022 by Ajith KumarNo Comments

Parupalli Kashyap out until March with injury

Badminton, Breaking News

The badminton player, who sustained a calf muscle tear at a senior ranking tournament, will miss the India Open, Syed Modi International and Odisha Open. Commonwealth Games gold-medalist and London 2012 Olympian Parupalli Kashyap will be out of action for three months after sustaining a calf injury at the All India senior ranking tournament in December 2021. “It is a Grade 1 pull, so I will be out of action for six weeks. It will take me three weeks to get back on court and another three weeks to get match fitness, so I am targeting March for a comeback,” Parupalli Kashyap told PTI. The Indian badminton player will thus miss the India Open, Syed Modi International and the Odisha Open. These three tournaments kick off the 2022 BWF season. Parupalli Kashyap could return to action...

Jan82022 by Ajith KumarNo Comments

‘WHAT’S IMPORTANT IS HEART,’ SAYS YIP PUI YIN

Badminton

“What’s important is the heart,” said the 34-year-old, at the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2021 in December, which was 16 years after her first World Championships in 2005. “I still have the heart for badminton. that’s why I keep going on. It makes me want to continue. Because if I quit I won’t have a chance any more to come to play tournaments, or to stay on court. That’s why I want to go on until I cannot anymore.” Yip showcases her jump smashing style. With the exception of Linda Zetchiri, Yip possibly has the longest tenure among active women’s singles players, having made her debut in 2003. “My first World Championships was in California in 2005,” recalled Yip. “This time (Huelva) is very meaningful because of the lockdown for around two years and I’m old already. So ...

Jan82022 by Ajith KumarNo Comments

From Prakash Padukone to PV Sindhu: The best of Indian badminton

Badminton, Editors

Prakash Padukone’s historic All-England win gave an early glimpse of the abundant talent in India which has produced players like Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu. The decade gone by has brought about a revolution in Indian badminton, which has carried the sport to unprecedented heights. Three Olympic medals, two players formerly ranked world No. 1, and a historic first world championship crown has firmly established India as one of the top badminton countries in the world. The journey of the previous decade has made players like Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu household names in the country while Parupalli Kashyap, Kidambi Srikanth, B Sai Praneeth, Jwala Gutta, and Ashwini Ponappa have all made important contributions along the way. Here, we take a look at the best Indian badminton playe...

Jan62022 by Ajith KumarNo Comments

STOLIARENKO BALANCES THREE LOVES: BADMINTON, TRAVEL, ART

Badminton

When Mariia Stoliarenko set off from Ukraine for Bali, back in November, she had no idea she would be the youngest athlete to participate in the Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2021. While most 17-year-olds are thinking about university or embarking on a gap year, Stoliarenko said she wanted to combine her three greatest loves: badminton, travel, and art. “I just fell in love with playing badminton. And I love art too. Especially graphic design,” Stoliarenko told BWF in Bali. Helping her along her journey during her stint in Bali was her experienced women’s doubles partner Yelyzaveta Zharka; the duo lost to Chloe Birch/Lauren Smith in the opening round, but that didn’t dent the bright smile on Stoliarenko’s face as she took in her surroundings. “That was a tough match,” she said. “We c...