SHAH ALAM (MALAYSIA), Feb 14: India’s young badminton brigade, led by world championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen and in-form Malvika Bansod, will aim to put up a good show in the Badminton Asia Team championships starting here on Tuesday.
The Indian men’s and women’s teams will be keen to make a winning start when they take on Korea and hosts Malaysia in group A and group Y respectively on the opening day of the continental championship.
With the seniors skipping the event, the onus will be on India Open winner Sen to lead the men’s team.
Kiran George and Mithun Manjunath are also likely to play pivotal roles in the tournament where the men’s team has been clubbed with three-time defending champions Indonesia and Hong Kong, apart from Korea.
Kiran had won his maiden world tour crown when he claimed the Odisha Super 100 title, while Manjunath had reached the semi-finals of the Syed Modi Super 300. Raghu Mariswamy is the fourth singles players.
In doubles, Ravikhrisna PS and Sankar Prasad Udayakumar, finalists at Odisha last month, and Manjit Singh Khwairakpam and Dingku Singh Konthoujam, who reached the semi-final at the Bahrain international challenge last year, will hope for a good outing.
In the women’s event, the Indian team, comprising Syed Modi International finalist Malvika, Aakarshi Kashyap and Ashmita Chaliha, will fancy its chances when it faces Malaysia and defending champion Japan in group B during the continental event.
Teams finishing at the top two positions in each group of both men’s and women’s events will make it to the last four and qualify for the Thomas Cup finals in Bangkok on May 17-22.
The Indian men’s team had won two bronze but the women’s side have never returned with a medal. (PTI)
