The Badminton Asia Championship 2024 witnessed an early conclusion of the Indian campaign as the country’s top shuttlers, PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy, faced defeat in their respective second-round matches.
Hard to Digest performance from the Indian top seeds at the Badminton Asia Championship
Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, ranked 12th in the world badminton rankings, lost to China’s 6th seed Han Yue in a three-game battle with a scoreline of 18-21, 21-13, 17-21. This was Sindhu’s first loss against Han Yue in six meetings. Despite a strong start and a six-point advantage at the break in the first game, Sindhu couldn’t maintain her lead. Although she managed to win the second game comfortably, she couldn’t sustain her performance in the final game.
On the other hand, HS Prannoy, the world’s 9th-ranked player, lost to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi, ranked 19th, in straight games, 21-18, 21-11. Prannoy managed to level the scores at 15-all in the first game after trailing by four points, but Lin Chun-Yi stepped up his game and took the first game before dominating the second.
In the women’s doubles competition, India’s highest-ranked pair, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, also faced defeat. They lost to the world No. 3 Japanese pair of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 21-17, 21-12.
The early exit of the Indian shuttlers from the Badminton Asia Championships 2024 is a worrying sign in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The Indian badminton players will now prepare for the Thomas and Uber Cup, which will be held in Chengdu, China from April 28 to May 5.
END of Indian challenge in Badminton Asia Championships
15 Indian players/pairs were in contention. All of them, yes all of them eliminated before 2nd round itself! #BAC2024 https://t.co/cUs0hAKGo9
— India_AllSports (@India_AllSports) April 11, 2024
Also Read: Amidst Doping Controversy, Indian Athletes regain entry to Meeting de Limoges
