Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Paris Olympics semi-finalist Lakshya Sen will lead a 14-member strong Indian team for the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships, to be held in Qingdao, China, from February 11-16, 2025.
India won the bronze medal in the last edition of the championships, held in Dubai in 2023, and will aim to improve on that performance this time. The national selectors have taken into account the world rankings and current form of the players while selecting the squad, which will include HS Prannoy and Malvika Bansod as the second men's and women's singles players, respectively. "The Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships is a prestigious event where the depth and quality of teams are tested. We did well by winning the bronze medal two years ago, but the target this year is to reach the finals, and then anything is possible, and we will go all out," said Badminton Association of India Secretary General Sanjay Mishra as quoted from a press release by BAI. India also boasts a strong doubles lineup, with the former world No. 1 combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty leading the men's doubles charge. The women's doubles duties will be shared by Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly or Olympians Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto. Tanisha will also compete in mixed doubles alongside Dhruv Kapila, with Sathish Kumar K and Adya Variyath forming the second mixed doubles combination in the squad. PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are currently involved in Indonesia Masters 2025. India Squad for Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships: Men: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila, MR Arjun, Sathish Kumar K Women: PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod, Gayatri Gopichand, Treesa Jolly, Ashwini Ponnappa, Tanisha Crasto, Adya Variyath. (ANI)
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