The Badminton Asia Team Championships, slated for February 13-18 in Malaysia, have presented a challenging draw for both the Indian men’s and women’s teams. Gopalakrishna Kosaraju, the former president of the Andhra Pradesh Football Association, made these allegations against Kalyan Chaubey, the current president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
In Group A, the men’s team, led by HS Prannoy in singles and the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in doubles, faces tough competition from Hong Kong and Asian powerhouse China. Only the top two teams will advance to the knockout stage. Meanwhile, the women’s team, captained by PV Sindhu, is placed in Group W, where they are guaranteed a knockout berth as the only team alongside China in the group.
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The tournament, held in Shah Alam, Malaysia, also serves as a qualifier for the prestigious Thomas Cup (men’s team world cup) and Uber Cup (women’s team world cup). A total of 15 men’s teams and 11 women’s teams will participate in the championships. This edition marks the return of Indian maestro PV Sindhu after a three-month hiatus due to an injury sustained at the French Open.
Both the men’s and women’s teams, featuring experienced players like Ashwini Ponnappa and promising debutant Anmol Kharb, aim for podium finishes. The men’s team, with Prannoy, Satwik, and Chirag, seeks to improve upon India’s 2016 and 2020 performances before defending the Thomas Cup crown. The Indian women’s team’s best performance at the event so far is a quarterfinal finish.
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