Syed Modi International badminton: Lakshya Sen, Chirag-Satwik pull out; PV Sindhu to play
Kidambi Srikanth, Ashwini Ponnappa and Manu Attri, who tested COVID-19 positive during last week’s India Open, will also skip the Lucknow meet.
Syed Modi International 2022, the second tournament of the BWF badminton calendar’s Indian leg, is scheduled to go ahead even after the withdrawal of several big names.
The tournament, which begins on January 18 at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium in Lucknow, will miss plenty of players from last week’s India Open, including the men’s singles champion Lakshya Sen.
Lakshya Sen pulled out of the tournament, citing fatigue due to a hectic calendar.
The 20-year-old Lakshya Sen has been competing continuously since last October and had to play plenty of matches courtesy progressing deep into most of the tournaments.
Lakshya Sen made the finals of the Dutch Open, reached the Hylo Open semi-finals, featured in the knockout stages of the BWF World Tour Finals and won bronze at the world championships during the last few months of 2021.
Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, the India Open 2022 men’s doubles champions, have also decided to skip the Syed Modi International.
Worlds silver medal-winner Kidambi Srikanth, who had tested COVID-19 positive last week, will also be missing the event along with doubles players Ashwini Ponnappa and Manu Attri, according to PTI.
Meanwhile, Pan American champion Brian Yang of Canada took a flight back home after facing health issues during the India Open. He contracted the virus on the way back.
However, double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will take the court at the Syed Modi International 2022.
At the Super 300 tournament in Lucknow, Tokyo 2020 bronze winner PV Sindhu will be chasing her first title since winning the gold medal at the 2019 world championships.
The world No. 7 PV Sindhu faced a shock defeat to Thailand’s Supania Katethong in the women’s singles semi-finals at last week’s India Open.
PV Sindhu is the top seed in the women’s singles at Syed Modi International while Supania Katethong is seeded sixth.
India’s Akarshi Kashyap will be another contender for the women’s singles title after the 20-year-old reached the India Open semis in Delhi.
Meanwhile, London 2012 bronze winner Saina Nehwal will not be competing.
In the men’s singles, Asian championships medallist HS Prannoy is expected to carry India’s hopes at the event.