Mumbai: All set to spearhead India’s campaign in the upcoming Sudirman Cup world mixed team badminton championships slated to be held in Australia, ace shuttler P V Sindhu is confident of a good show by the team.
“I think we have a good chance, it’s a mixed team event so girls and boys both have to perform well. We are playing Indonesia and Denmark, so I hope we can win,” Sindhu said here on Saturday night after being conferred with the honorary life membership of the Cricket Club India.
India, ranked no. 9, is placed in Group 1D with Denmark and Indonesia in the preliminary stage of the competition, scheduled from May 21-28.
The team had finished 9th in the previous edition of the championships. India will depend a lot on the world no. 4-ranked Rio Olympic Games silver medallist in the event, from which another top woman shuttler and London Games bronze medal winner Saina Nehwal has pulled out due to family reasons.
Since only one woman could play as it’s a mixed team event, Sindhu said Saina’s absence should not be an issue. “Yes, Saina isn’t playing, but when it comes to one singles and doubles only one player is required, so that shouldn’t be any issue,” said the 21-year-old shuttler after having interacted with the CCI badminton-playing children at the club’s courts earlier.
Sindhu has slipped down from the world no. 2 ranking she achieved after winning the Indian Open, and is eager to move up the ladder.
“Currently I’m on fourth (rank) and I expect to see myself in top three by the end of the year. “But I have already been in top two so I would definitely like to see myself as world number one, but before that I think you have to play well and if you do that ranking will automatically come,” she said. (PTI)
