Ningbo (China)– As the 2025 Badminton Asia Championships kick off on Tuesday in Ningbo, China, a blend of seasoned veterans and promising young talent from India is set to launch its continental campaign, aiming for a strong performance.
However, the Indian squad will be without some key players. Notable withdrawals include the women’s doubles World No. 9 pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, along with the reigning men’s doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
Despite these setbacks, India’s charge will be led by Lakshya Sen, H.S. Prannoy, and P.V. Sindhu — all determined to bounce back after a string of inconsistent results in recent months.
India’s top two men’s singles players, Lakshya (World No. 18) and Prannoy (World No. 17), headline the singles draw. Sen, a bronze medalist at the 2021 World Championships, will open against Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia-Hao, a finalist at the All England Championships earlier this season. Prannoy, still working his way back to peak form after a bout of chikungunya, faces a challenging opener against China’s Guang Zu Lu.
The Indian men’s singles lineup also includes Kiran George (World No. 34) and Priyanshu Rajawat (World No. 35). George will begin his campaign against a qualifier, while Rajawat will take on Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen.
In the women’s singles draw, P.V. Sindhu returns to action looking to build momentum after dropping to World No. 17. The two-time Olympic medalist will face Indonesia’s Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo in her opener. However, the path ahead remains difficult for the rest of the Indian contingent.
India’s young hopefuls — Malvika Bansod (World No. 23), Anupama Upadhyaya (World No. 43), and Aakarshi Kashyap (World No. 48) — have drawn tough first-round opponents. Anupama will take on Thailand’s former world champion and eighth seed Ratchanok Intanon. Bansod faces a stern test against China’s Fang Jie Gao, while Kashyap opens against second seed Yue Han of China.
With Jolly and Gopichand sidelined, India’s women’s doubles hopes now rest on the shoulders of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, who will face Chinese Taipei’s Shuo Yun Sung and Chien Hui Yu.
In men’s doubles, India will be represented by two relatively unknown pairs — Hariharan Amsakarunan/Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy/Sai Pratheek. Both pairs will be looking to cause upsets and gain valuable experience on the big stage.
The mixed doubles category features a fresh mix of youth and promise, with four Indian pairs in contention. Rohan Kapoor will partner Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, while Sathish Kumar Karunakaran teams up with Aadya Variyath. The experienced duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto are also in the fray, alongside Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh.
This year’s Badminton Asia Championships offers a total prize pool of USD 500,000 and will run through April 13. (Source: IANS)
