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India will field its largest-ever contingent in the 3rd edition of the India Open BWF World Tour Super 750, scheduled to take place from January 14-19, 2025. With top stars such as Olympic champions Viktor Axelsen and An Se Young, along with world number one Shi Yuqi, leading the field, this edition promises a thrilling showcase of skill and precision.
Marking its third year, the tournament has become a hub of excellence and fandom, bringing together the world's best players and passionate fans in a true badminton spectacle. The India Open, a flagship competition organized by the Badminton Association of India (BAI), was elevated to a Super 750 status in 2023. As part of the BWF World Tour, it offers participants a prize pool of USD 950,000 and 11,000 ranking points for the champions. The event will be held at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall, Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi. This year, host India will have 21 entries across categories: Men's Singles (3), Women's Singles (4), Men's Doubles (2), Women's Doubles (8), and Mixed Doubles (4). "The 2025 India Open is a clear indication of how Indian players are steadily carving out their place among the best in global badminton. With so many Indian players competing in a Super 750 event, it's a remarkable sign of the growth and rise of Indian badminton on the world stage. This is just the beginning--2025 promises to be a year where more names will feature alongside the established names, while fresh faces will emerge and shine bringing glory and pride to India. The competition at the IG Stadium will be a testament to the rising calibre of Indian talents," said Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, of the Badminton Association of India. In the last two Super 750 editions, India had 14 entries each. Notable performances included Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who reached the men's doubles final, and HS Prannoy, who made it to the men's singles semifinals in 2024. Apart from Chirag-Satwik and Prannoy, India will pin its hopes on 2022 men's singles champion Lakshya Sen and two-time Olympic medallist and former world women's singles champion PV Sindhu to vie for the prestigious title. The competition's intensity is evident, with only two players from the top 20 men's singles players absent, while the women's singles draw features 14 of the top 20 players. In doubles, several top players have retired or changed partners post the Paris Olympics, which could lead to surprising results. However, Indian fans will closely watch Chirag and Satwik's performance, as Satwik returns after an injury layoff with limited play since the Olympics. The men's doubles category includes China's Paris Olympics silver medallists Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, Malaysia's bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, Denmark's Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen, and Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto. The Indian contingent for the tournament: Men's Singles (MS) - Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Priyanshu RajawatWomen's Singles -- PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod, Anupama Upadhyaya, Aakarshi KashyapMen's Doubles -- Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, K Sai Pratheek/Pruthvi K RoyWomen's Doubles -- Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto, Rutuparna Panda/Swetaparna Panda, Mansa Rawat/Gayatri Rawat, Ashwini Bhat/Shikha Gautam, Sakshi Gahlawat/Apoorva Gahlawat, Sania Sikkandar/Rashmi Ganesh, Mrunmayee Deshpande/Prerana AlvekarMixed Doubles-- Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto, K Sathish Kumar/Aadya Variyath, Rohan Kapoor/G Ruthvika Shivani, Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh. (ANI)
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