Birmingham, Mar 13:
Two-time Olympic medallist and Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu moved into pre-quarters stage of the All England Open Championships here on Tuesday.
Though her opponent retired during the match, Sindhu demonstrated her skill and dominance on the court. The Indian shuttler was leading 21-10 and won the match by walkover.
“Sindhu moves into pre-quarters as Yvonne Li retired after the first game. We wish her a speedy recovery: @badmintonphoto #AllEngland2024 #IndiaontheRise #Badminton,” the Badminton Association of India (BAI) Media Xed.
Prannoy crashed out in the first round of the competition, losing to Su Li Yang of Chinese Taipei 21-14, 13-21, 13-21 in a hard-fought battle.
Another Indian shuttler, Aakarshi Kashyap lost in the first round to Pai Yu To of Chinese Taipei 21-16, 21-11 in straight games.
“Setbacks are just launchpads for comebacks. Your time will come, Aakarshi, keep it up! @badmintonphoto #AllEngland2024 #IndiaontheRise #Badminton,” BAI Xed.
The All England Open Badminton Championships is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world of badminton, and winning it is considered a significant achievement in the sport.
Only two Indian players won gold at the event – Prakash Padukone won the men’s singles title in 1980, and Pullela Gopichand clinched the men’s singles title in 2001.
The tournament, ending on March 17, will be offering qualifying ranking points for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The qualification window started on May 1.
Kidambi Srikanth faced a tough challenge against Viktor Axelsen, the world No. 1, in a crucial match as he aimed to secure a spot in the Paris Olympics.
Unfortunately, Srikanth struggled and lost convincingly with a score of 9-21, 9-21. This defeat puts his Olympic dreams in jeopardy, leaving the responsibility of representing the country in men’s singles to Lakshya Sen and Priyanshu Rajawat, the runners-up and remaining contenders from India in the tournament.
