SHILLONG: The much anticipated badminton event of the 12th South Asian Games will kick off at the NEHU, SAI Special Area Games at 10 AM on Saturday with the Indian men taking on their Maldives counterparts in the team event.
In other fixtures scheduled for the same time, Nepal will take on Pakistan, Bangladesh will play Pakistan and the Sri Lanka men’s team will lock horns with Bhutan.
The Indian squad for the South Asian Games will miss out on the services of Saina Nehwal and the injured Parupalli Kashyap. While Saina has been replaced by Vrushali G, B Sai Praneeth fitted in for Kahsyap who had cited his inability to participate in the event due to injury concerns. Jwala Gutta will lead the Indian challenge.
All teams barring India practiced at the NEHU, SAI venue on Friday. Shuttlers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Bhutan and Sri Lanka were seen training hard on the eve of the multinational event.
Pakistan coach Iftikhar Hussain said that he was confident of a good show by his squad, especially the doubles pair of Rizwan and Kashif. Admitting that India were favourites going into the tourney, the former Pakistan international Hussain, however, said that he had high hopes from his 12-member squad.
The Lankans are also a confident lot. Though a bit concerned about the weather conditions in Shillong, coach Pradeep Walegadera was quietly confident that his team will cope with the situation.
He praised the hosts as a badminton powerhouse but backed his “young but experienced” 16-member squad to put up a good show.
Bangladesh coach Russel Kabir, meanwhile was confident that his side will better the 2010 Bronze record.
Kabir is banking his hopes on the women’s doubles pair of Shapla and Alina and mixed doubled pair of Porosh and Shapla.
